As we await what’s next for Austin Riley after he was removed from yesterday’s game after being hit by a 97 MPH fastball on the wrist, we did get a bit of good news on the injury front. Reynaldo Lopez will return from the IL to face the Phillies on Tuesday after dealing with forearm tightness.
Reynaldo Lopez is 7-4 with a 2.06 ERA on the season, earning All-Star honors for the first time after going from a relief arm to a full-time starter again for the first time since 2019. But with the increased workload, there was always a concern that fatigue may be an issue as the season waned. We saw our first glimpse of that after the All-Star break, and he was eventually removed from his last start on July 28th against the Mets after just three innings.
Thankfully, Lopez has avoided anything serious, but it’ll be interesting to see the Braves’ plan for him the rest of the year. They could sure use him as their third or fourth starter, but with A.J. Minter now out for the season, Lopez could also add a lot of juice to the bullpen if fatigue becomes an issue again.
Reynaldo Lopez will be up against NL Cy Young candidate Zack Wheeler on Tuesday night at Truist Park. On Wednesday, the Braves will trot out Max Fried against Aaron Nola, followed by Spencer Schwellenbach on Thursday to wrap up the series. The Phillies starter for the series finale has yet to be announced.
Entering the new week, the Braves sit seven games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East. If Atlanta wants to pull off another miracle, like they did in 2022, and keep their run of six consecutive division titles alive, you have to think they need to sweep the Phillies this week to make it interesting down the stretch.
