Braves Rocked: Star Pitcher Faces Career-Threatening Injury
López pitched just one inning the previous night in a 12-0 win over the Washington Nationals, exiting after 25 pitches, 16 of which were strikes. His fastball, usually hitting 96 mph, was down to 89-94 mph.
A breakout star for the Braves, López holds an 8-5 record with a 2.03 ERA over 24 starts. Initially a reliever for three seasons, López transitioned into Atlanta’s rotation after signing a three-year, $30 million deal last winter.
Braves manager Brian Snitker offered an optimistic outlook, saying the MRI revealed no structural damage.
“The MRI was clean,” Snitker said. “He’s got inflammation. We’ll let it calm down, give him some days off, and reevaluate when he starts throwing again.”
Despite the encouraging diagnosis, López will be unavailable for nearly three weeks, putting his return close to the final days of the regular season.
“We won’t know until he starts throwing again,” Snitker added. “It’s not structural, so once he’s rested, we’ll begin a throwing program. Hopefully, he’ll be back when his time’s up.”
As they prepared to close a two-game series against the Nationals, Atlanta was just a half-game behind the Mets for the NL’s final wild-card spot. The Mets gained ground earlier with a 6-2 win over Toronto.
The Braves have remained in the playoff hunt despite major setbacks, including season-ending injuries to NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and ace Spencer Strider. They’ve also been without key players like Ozzie Albies, who has missed nearly two months with a wrist injury, and Austin Riley, expected to sit out the rest of the season with a fractured hand.
In recent games, the Braves have fielded a lineup that includes three players waived by other teams this season.
Amid several roster moves, the Braves called up reliever Daysbel Hernández from Triple-A Gwinnett and added infielder Cavan Biggio to the major league squad. Biggio, who has played for Toronto and the Dodgers this season, has struggled offensively, hitting .197 with five homers and 19 RBIs.
Atlanta also sent infielder Luke Williams back to Triple-A Gwinnett and designated pitcher Jimmy Herget for assignment.
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