Reynaldo López had an opportunity to make the Atlanta Braves’ postseason pitching decisions a little easier. Instead, his first start in more than a month added another question to a rotation that is running out of time to find answers.
Returning from the injured list after dealing with left knee inflammation, López faced a difficult test against the Tampa Bay Rays, owners of the American League’s best record and OPS. He lasted only 4 2/3 innings, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits as Atlanta fell 7-2.
The loss carried additional weight in the standings. Philadelphia beat Houston 11-7, trimming Atlanta’s lead in the National League East to three games with 16 remaining.
Braves Fourth-Starter Question Gets More Complicated
Atlanta appears comfortable with Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle and Grant Holmes heading toward October. Beyond those three, the picture is considerably less settled.
Bryce Elder is on the injured list following left knee surgery. Martín Perez struggled against Philadelphia on Saturday, while AJ Smith-Shawver has been inconsistent since returning to the majors. López entered Wednesday with a chance to strengthen his case as another postseason starter, but command problems quickly worked against him.
“We’ve got six starters right now,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “Those are ongoing conversations with how we’re going to move forward. (We) don’t have anything after the (Phillies) series (this weekend).”
López threw 80 pitches, with 33 called balls. Falling behind repeatedly made an already difficult Tampa Bay lineup even harder to navigate.
His four-seam fastball has also been vulnerable this season, with opponents hitting nearly .300 against it. López leaned heavily on his slider Wednesday, throwing it almost as frequently as his fastball in an attempt to generate swings and misses. Tampa Bay hitters largely refused to chase, leaving him to operate from unfavorable counts.
“That’s the name of the game,” Weiss said. “I mean, all these guys got good stuff, but you got to have count leverage for the most part. It’s a rough ride if you don’t.”
López Is Still Chasing His 2024 Form
Atlanta knows López is capable of considerably better.
His 2024 season provided the clearest evidence. After spending the previous three years working out of the bullpen, López became a starter for Atlanta and produced the best season of his career. He made his first All-Star team, recorded a 1.99 ERA, and finished with 5.1 WAR, second on the Braves behind Sale.
The opportunity to build on that performance disappeared almost immediately in 2025. López underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery after only one start and missed the remainder of the season.
His return in 2026 has consequently been anything but straightforward.
López opened the year in Atlanta’s rotation, but after five starts he was sent to the bullpen to address his struggles. His final outing before that move was particularly difficult, requiring 58 pitches to record three outs against Washington on April 21.
Injuries and inconsistency elsewhere eventually created another opening. López returned to the rotation June 26 and posted a 3.86 ERA across 28 innings in six starts. Four times he held opponents to either zero or one run. Mixed among those performances, however, were consecutive starts in which he surrendered at least four runs.
Then came the knee inflammation and another extended absence.
“With that being my first time being out for a full year, it is a bit tough,” López said in Spanish. “You lose your mechanics, and you lose the feel for your arm. You lose everything.”
A Bullpen Role Could Still Keep López in Atlanta’s October Plans
Wednesday’s performance does not necessarily eliminate López from Atlanta’s postseason plans. It could, however, change the role the Braves envision for him.
October frequently creates opportunities for traditional starters to work from the bullpen, whether following an abbreviated start or entering in situations where a manager needs multiple innings. López already has extensive relief experience, giving Atlanta another possible way to use him if he does not secure a rotation spot.
His command may ultimately determine whether that happens. When López gets ahead, his repertoire gives him options. When he consistently pitches from behind, as he did against Tampa Bay, those options shrink quickly.
Atlanta also must decide whether continuing with a six-man rotation makes sense during the final weeks of the regular season. Weiss indicated those discussions remain active, with no firm plan established beyond the upcoming Philadelphia series.
For López, that uncertainty is familiar territory. He has moved from starter to reliever, back to starter and then to the injured list this season after losing nearly all of 2025 to shoulder surgery. Now he has only a few weeks remaining to demonstrate where he fits when the Braves reach October.
“This year has been a roller coaster with the way things have been going this season,” López said through team interpreter Franco García. “Hopefully we can just get it right going into the postseason and hopefully just get going.”
