The Atlanta Braves on Wednesday placed right-handed starter Reynaldo López on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. The move comes a day after López exited his start against the Washington Nationals after showing significantly diminished velocity in his one inning of work.
In a corresponding move, the Braves recalled right-hander Daysbel Hernández from Triple-A. The Braves also on Wednesday added infielder Cavan Biggio to the active roster and optioned infielder Luke Williams to Triple-A Gwinnett.
The 30-year-old López this season has enjoyed a breakout campaign and been a critical part of the Braves' rotation. In 24 starts, he's pitched to a sparkling 2.04 ERA/205 ERA+ with 137 strikeouts and 42 unintentional walks in 128 2/3 innings. For his first-half efforts, López was rewarded with his first-ever All-Star selection. In August, he missed roughly two weeks with forearm inflammation.
Injuries have been the leading subplot for Atlanta in 2024 and a major reason why they find themselves fighting for a playoff berth in the National League instead of replicating their regular-season dominance of 2023. Ace Spencer Strider and reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. are both out for the season, and two other standouts – third baseman Austin Riley and second baseman Ozzie Albies – are also on the IL with uncertain timetables.
The Braves enter Wednesday's slate with a record of 79-66 and in second place in the NL East. They're presently tied with the division-rival New York Mets for the third and final wild-card spot in the NL.
