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Reynaldo López To Be Shut Down For 12 Weeks

By Darragh McDonald | April 8, 2025 at 3:55pm CDT

Braves right-hander Reynaldo López underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder today. The club had previously said they wouldn’t know his timeline until the procedure was complete. David O’Brien of The Athletic reports today that manager Brian Snitker described it as a “clean up” procedure. The righty will be shut down from throwing for 12 weeks, which will take him into July, before being reexamined. Even if he is declared healthy at that point, he would need several weeks to ramp back up, meaning a return in August or September is perhaps the best-case scenario.

The news is obviously less than ideal, as López was a key member of last year’s rotation and was slated to be in that role again this year. Atlanta signed him going into 2024 and moved him to the rotation, even though he had been pitching in relief for a while. The gambit paid off, with López posting a 1.99 earned run average over 135 2/3 innings.

Making the move from the bullpen to the rotation still presented some challenges. He had a couple of stints on the injured list last year, one due to forearm inflammation and another due to shoulder inflammation. However, he was off the IL by the end of the season and seemed fine during this year’s Spring Training. But after just one start in the regular season, he landed on the IL again with more inflammation in that shoulder.

Shortly thereafter, the club announced that the arthroscopic procedure would be required. As mentioned, they didn’t expect to have a firm timeline until it was done, though they transferred him to the 60-day IL last week when they acquired Jason Delay. That suggested they didn’t expect him back before late May, but it seems he will actually be out well beyond that.

It appears there’s still a window for López to return late in the year though it appears to be a somewhat narrow one. His rehab could perhaps become an important development this summer, as the front office will have to decide how aggressively to pursue pitching at the deadline. As they are deciding on their plan of attack, López could be working his way back to the mound if he doesn’t experience any setbacks.

For now, the club is left with Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach as the core members of the rotation. Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver earned the final two spots out of camp. When López hit the IL, Bryce Elder was recalled to replace him.

Spencer Strider seems to be getting very close to a return from last year’s UCL surgery. He tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his most recent rehab start. That will likely push one of Elder or Smith-Shawver into a Triple-A optional assignment. Holmes is out of options but could get bumped to a long relief role, with current long man Zach Thompson then being optioned. Hurston Waldrep, Davis Daniel and Dylan Dodd are also on the 40-man.

The team is presumably operating with a bit less room for error than they were expecting. They entered the season as contenders but have gotten out to a dreary 1-8 start, the worst record in baseball. They will have to climb out of that hole without their big offseason addition, as Jurickson Profar received an 80-game PED suspension. López will be on the shelf even longer than that.

Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images

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Atlanta Braves Newsstand Reynaldo Lopez

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View Comments (62)
Post a Comment

62 Comments

  1. chippersmoltz

    3 months ago

    Late season acquisition of a shut down reliever. Little bit of cope here

    Reply
  2. ib6ub9

    3 months ago

    Braves might be out of it by then. Lol

    3
    Reply
  3. bobby cox

    3 months ago

    Should have held onto Anderson. Can’t be worse then Elder

    2
    Reply
    • RunDMC

      3 months ago

      Based on his small sample size in LAA, still no. Can we just be done with both of them?

      2
      Reply
    • D2323

      3 months ago

      Should have held on to Canning.

      5
      Reply
      • braveshomer

        3 months ago

        Same with Marco Gonzales last year! Makes no sense we trade for them in salary dumps and don’t keep either when we needed the depth. Why not keep them, the Braves were paying for them either way smh.

        2
        Reply
        • NashvilleJeff

          3 months ago

          @braveshomer: Releasing Canning didn’t cost the Braves anything. He was non tendered. Braves never paid him anything.

          1
          Reply
        • braveshomer

          3 months ago

          Even worse, it still doesn’t change the fact we should’ve kept him at least for depth. Marco had a sub 3.00 era first 6 weeks of last season for the Pirates which we could’ve used.

          Reply
        • RunDMC

          3 months ago

          Which makes more reason to have not gotten rid of him so their rivals (NYM) can pick him up for pennies on the dollar and get QS plugging him into the rotation. It’s almost like AA went against his own mantra and he could have enough pitching.

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          It will cost them a shot at the playoffs.

          Reply
      • Boston’s Alignment

        3 months ago

        Stearns is currently schooling AA.

        1
        Reply
        • NashvilleJeff

          3 months ago

          How? By signing injured pitchers? Every GM does that because pitchers can’t stay healthy.

          Reply
        • RunDMC

          3 months ago

          Does Stearns just not wear his WS ring around AA to be modest?

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          Well Stearns never had a record of 2-8.

          Reply
        • RunDMC

          3 months ago

          What does that ring look like? He’s had the highest payroll in the league since coming on with the Mets. What a genius.

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          This is he’s second season with the Mets. It seems like all is going really good right now. A NLCS appearance year one and now the complete opposite of the Braves at 8-3. Let’s not over react to the payroll when the Braves aren’t exactly a low payroll team.

          Reply
        • RunDMC

          3 months ago

          Yes, and every season he’s been with the Mets (2024, 2025) he’s had the top payroll annually. Did I lie?

          ATL starting out slow is more ideal than Mets typical finishing slow, no? Thank god for Buckner.

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          The Mets finish slow? The Braves had a 10 1/2 game lead on the Mets on June 1st last year. The Mets were the best team in baseball from that point on. The Braves snuck in the playoffs because the Mets decided to throw them the last game of the season.

          Reply
        • RunDMC

          3 months ago

          lol…your short-term memory must have taken over the long-term memory. AA sent a bouquet after 2021 Mets collapse that ATL rode from being the first team to be sub-.500 in August and win a World Series. Thanks to Mets for lying down then, too.

          2
          Reply
  4. MacGromit

    3 months ago

    Braves need to stop walking under ladders

    3
    Reply
  5. aLifetimeOfDefeats

    3 months ago

    Well it was a good run. This is gonna be a brtual year.

    2
    Reply
  6. cash3w

    3 months ago

    The Braves’ pitching is still solid even without López–Strider’s (fingers crossed!) almost back, Sale’s dealing, and Schwellenbach’s on the rise. AJSS is getting his shot to prove he belongs. Yeah, the offense’s slow start sucks, but let’s be real: history says these bats’ll wake up (Acuna, help!). The global market might dip and will rebound, just like the Braves.

    2
    Reply
    • braves2

      3 months ago

      sale’s hardly “dealing” with his 5.40 era. schwellenbach is the only one doing anything

      2
      Reply
      • Old York

        3 months ago

        @braves2

        Sale’s SIERA is 2.74, so no reason to be concerned.

        1
        Reply
        • braves2

          3 months ago

          I’m only top of the 3rd and Sale is giving plenty of reason to be concerned 😂 and either way, “dealing” is not the term I’d use to describe his season prior to this game

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          Nothing like going to a fantasy stat to change reality.

          1
          Reply
        • Old York

          3 months ago

          @Mets Era Thumping Soto

          What’s a fantasy stat? You think ERA tells you everything about how a pitcher does on the mound? LOL! No wonder baseball IQ is in such decline…

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          No I do not. Sierra tells even less because it is a manipulated stat that likes strike out pitchers.

          Reply
        • Old York

          3 months ago

          @Mets Era Thumping Soto

          Then you might want to tell Fangraphs…

          tht.fangraphs.com/kwera-the-starting-point-for-pit…

          I prefer to use SIERA & kWERA for evaluations.

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          I don’t rely on fangraphs for much. Their projections are usually bad and they admitted to being biased last year when they wrote an article saying they biased the Braves because they just felt they were a lot better than everyone else. If your model is to go off of stats then you can’t skew them to get the answers you want.

          Reply
        • Old York

          3 months ago

          Enjoy your failed ERA.

          Reply
        • braves2

          3 months ago

          there is no single stat that’s going to tell the whole story. and every stat relys so much on other things. I dont have time to go through every thing and type out big paragraphs, but I watch the games. Sales command has been way off. He’s getting raked. yes some things he cant control, like if his 2b is going to cover a steal and the ball goes through the hole, or Schwarbers little bloop to RF last night. But overall he hasnt been anywhere near as pristine as last year, and definitely not “dealing”

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          Once again I dont think ERA tells everything. A fantasy stat is made up by someone I don’t know adjusting stats on park factors, what they consider good defense and such. It’s not real. It’s someone playing with stats to get a predetermined outcome. Sale has a whip of 1.36 and is getting hit a lot harder than last year.

          1
          Reply
        • NashvilleJeff

          3 months ago

          @Mets: Says the guy who’s so biased on his Mutts that he can’t see past the end of his nose.

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          It’s pretty ironic to get a bias lecture from you.

          Reply
        • braves2

          3 months ago

          you are using ERA as a reference in your comment below while simultaneously telling us it doesn’t matter 😂

          2
          Reply
        • NashvilleJeff

          3 months ago

          @Mets: A “bias lecture” coming from the Mets homer who trashes the Braves on every MLBTR article. THAT’S irony. Changing your screen name from metsin4 hasn’t slowed your incessant barrage of troll garbage. Try to find a troll comment from me on a Mets article. You won’t—-because I don’t troll the Mets fanbase. Unlike you, I’m on the site to discuss baseball. Pushing back against trolls like you, Blue Baron, blackpink, etc. who show up just to spew their hatred of the Braves is a better option than muting your kind. Muting ruins comment threads.

          3
          Reply
        • Old York

          3 months ago

          @NashvilleJeff

          Well said!

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          You literally called the Mets the Mutts. You can’t be serious when talking. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings if I don’t kiss the Braves asses. This isn’t a Braves echo chamber.

          Reply
        • danumd87 2

          3 months ago

          I’m not a Braves fan by any stretch but you’re clearly just a troll. Calling well established metrics “fantasy stats” is nonsensical. It may be your opinion but it’s certainly not objective reality and as such can and should be easily discarded given the complete absence of reason and evidence you’ve provided. Trolly troll troll trollllll

          1
          Reply
        • Mets Era Thumping Soto

          3 months ago

          Sierra is a well established metric? By who? 99% of people have no idea what it is and the other 1% have no clue how it’s calculated. Please tell me how it’s calculated in detail? I bet you won’t even come close.

          Reply
        • DakotaJoe

          3 months ago

          Come on, Sale has not looked good so far this year. The season’s young so he may certainly turn it around but so far he isn’t looking dominant at all.

          1
          Reply
        • braves2

          3 months ago

          yep Sale lookin real good since we last conversed hahaha am I allowed to be concerned now?

          1
          Reply
        • Old York

          3 months ago

          @braves2

          Sure.

          Reply
    • stugots

      3 months ago

      AJSS still has command issues. As of right now. AJSS with Holmes and Elder. Can’t be trusted give you 5 innings. Bullpen is thin already.

      1
      Reply
      • RunDMC

        3 months ago

        Re: AJSS — inevitably, he needs to fly under Kimbrel’s wing and be a backend ‘pen force.

        Reply
  7. Unclemike1526

    3 months ago

    So is that the best case scenario? Or not?

    Reply
  8. Old York

    3 months ago

    Holmes’s 4.12 Triple-A ERA (2024) and multi-inning capability (article: long relief potential) suggest he’d stabilize the bullpen now, cutting runs allowed by ~0.3-0.4 per game versus Elder/Smith-Shawver’s 5.00+ ERA projections (2024 minors). This nets 5-7 runs saved over 15 games pre-Strider (0.5-0.7 WAR, per 10 runs = 1 win), yet they’re keeping Holmes starting.

    Reply
    • Ignorant Son-of-a-b

      3 months ago

      Old York you must be retired.

      Reply
      • Old York

        3 months ago

        @Ignorant Son-of-a-b

        I grew up in the 1800s. Of course.

        4
        Reply
  9. Lou Sassoll

    3 months ago

    No reason to rush him back. Worst team in baseball.

    1
    Reply
    • Boston’s Alignment

      3 months ago

      I see a Mets fan.

      Reply
  10. AL B DAMNED

    3 months ago

    MLB Teams need to take note that you can’t take a relief pitcher and turn them into a starting pitcher all of the sudden! They are used to a workload of 1 to 2 innings every 2-4 days and 50-60 innings per year. They have most all been relievers most of their careers professional and collegiate. You got to expect risking arm, elbow or shoulder injuries from the increase in usage and innings pitched!
    All of the best of luck to Renaldo Lopez, but shoulder injuries are harder to come back from than elbow or TJ Surgery! In hindsight, maybe they should have kept Ian Anderson. To me, Anderson had more upside than Bryce Elder. The only reason Elder is still here is because he has options, but he is probably real close to exhausting his minor league options! Start paying attention to Hurston Waldrep!

    1
    Reply
    • MLB Top 100 Commenter

      3 months ago

      Didn’t your parents teach you to have some respect for Elders?

      Reply
  11. Outfieldflyrule??

    3 months ago

    At least the Braves are saving money on payroll this year. As a Braves fan that may be all we have to hang our hat on.

    1
    Reply
    • Boston’s Alignment

      3 months ago

      Circle July 31 on your calendar.

      Reply
  12. Boston’s Alignment

    3 months ago

    Spencer Turnbull time? Hello, can you be ready by June?

    Reply
    • NashvilleJeff

      3 months ago

      Braves don’t often sign Boras clients. Keuchel was the only one since Greg Maddux—and Keuchel was just for half the season.

      1
      Reply
      • RunDMC

        3 months ago

        True, but he was close with Correa. Boras and AA love high-AAV pillow deals before opt-outs became sexy, which AA def does not do.

        1
        Reply
  13. aLifetimeOfDefeats

    3 months ago

    Best case scenario for the year is Strider comes back and is as close to dominant as he was before the injury, Schwely stays healthy and develops into the Braves second ace, Sale gets it together and is at least solid, and someone in the AJSS, Waldrep, etc group of young arms is able to be serviceable. I have no faith in Elder. He should have been traded when he still had value. Even if all that comes to be this team still needs to make a trade for a viable starter if they want to salvage the season and snag a wild card spot. With the current staff I just can’t see it, especially when only like 2 or 3 guys on the team can hit at a time.

    Reply
  14. Fred McGriff HR

    3 months ago

    I have to laugh at the **** talk about Sale, he’s played 3 of the top teams in baseball straight out of the gate, in SD, LAD & PHI, he gave up 3, 3 & 5, he’s been quite ok to start the season. In fact, if he’d been given some more run support in the first two games the Braves probably win those games.
    In 14.2 ip so far he’s k’d 17 and walked 1, whip of 0.879 and SO9 is 9.3, 70% of his pitches have been thrown for strikes, yet people want to talk absolute garbage about him. It’s hilarious. I’m glad he’s a Brave, and you can talk all you like, it’s April, the Braves need to look after him as best they can so he’s still good to go in September October.
    Queue the trolls, and get in line.

    1
    Reply
  15. AI GM

    3 months ago

    Unfortunate

    Reply

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