Braves Receive Update On Reynaldo López Following Arthroscopic Surgery
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Zach Pressnell is a Newsweek contributor based in Columbus, Ohio. His focus is MLB content. He has an extensive knowledge of professional baseball and all things that come with it after working closely with the sport for years. Zach has been with Newsweek since November 2024 and previously worked at FanSided and OnSI. He is a graduate of Bethany College (WV). You can get in touch with Zach by emailing z.pressnell@newsweek.com.
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The Atlanta Braves came into the season with a very talented, but shallow, pitching rotation. They have the reigning Cy Young winner, Chris Sale, as well as multiple talented young arms like AJ Smith-Shawver and Spencer Schwellenbach. Ace Spencer Strider is set to return from Tommy John surgery soon, too.
Reynaldo López has been the biggest question mark on the Braves' pitching staff for the last year. He's transitioning from a reliever to a starter, so his durability is being put to the test. The righty fought injuries last season and has already been bitten by the injury bug early on this year.
López has been sidelined with a shoulder injury for over a week now. He recently underwent arthroscopic surgery to determine the extent of the damage, and the news of the surgery is both disappointing and relieving.
According to Braves beat writer Mark Bowman, the surgery was simply a cleanup and there was no structural damage revealed. That's the good news.
The bad news is that López will be sidelined for 12 weeks until he's reevaluated in July. Atlanta will be without one of their best pitchers for a few months.
The Braves have been rumored to be interested in adding a starting pitcher this season, but with Strider nearing a return, it doesn't seem likely. Atlanta would likely rather pitch a man down than cough up a lot of prospects to bring in a solid arm.
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