**Braves’ Star Pitcher Reynaldo López to Undergo MRI for Forearm Tightness**
Braves right-hander Reynaldo López was pulled from Sunday’s game after just three innings due to right forearm tightness. According to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, López will undergo an MRI in Atlanta. The team described the move as precautionary and listed López as day-to-day, but it could be significant given the current state of the club.
López, who transitioned back to a starting role this year after working mostly as a reliever from 2021 to 2023, has excelled with a 2.12 ERA in 101 2/3 innings. While his high 85.6% strand rate suggests some luck, his 8.7% walk rate and 24.2% strikeout rate are solid, with a 3.17 FIP and 4.00 SIERA indicating strong underlying performance.
Losing López, even briefly, would be a setback for Atlanta, which has been struggling in the standings and is trailing the Phillies in the National League East. In a tight Wild Card race with nine teams within eight games of each other, Atlanta’s position is precarious.
The Braves’ rotation has been plagued by injuries, starting with Spencer Strider’s season-ending UCL surgery in April. Max Fried, Huascar Ynoa, and Hurston Waldrep are also on the IL with arm issues. While Fried and Waldrep might return soon, losing López would leave the rotation relying on Chris Sale and Charlie Morton. Sale, 35, has had a strong year but missed most of the previous four seasons due to injury, and Morton, 40, has seen his strikeout rate decline for the fourth consecutive season. Spencer Schwellenbach has shown promise but has only ten MLB starts, and reliever Grant Holmes is scheduled to start tomorrow.
With the trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, the Braves may need to aggressively pursue starting pitching upgrades. Potential trade targets include Garrett Crochet, Jack Flaherty, Tarik Skubal, Erick Fedde, Yusei Kikuchi, and Cal Quantrill. The team is also dealing with injuries to key players like Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Michael Harris II, which may necessitate additional moves for second base and outfield help. However, the competitive balance tax (CBT) might limit their flexibility, as their current CBT number is $273M, just below the third threshold of $277M.
There’s also concern about a long-term absence for López. While there’s no indication of a severe injury yet, any issue with a pitcher’s elbow or forearm is worrisome. A significant surgery could jeopardize López’s 2025 season. With both Fried and Morton set to become free agents, and Morton possibly retiring, López, in the first year of a three-year deal, is expected to be a crucial part of the 2025 rotation. Without him, the rotation would lean heavily on a 36-year-old Sale and relatively unproven pitchers like Schwellenbach and Waldrep.
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