How will Reynaldo Lopez pitch this season?
The Atlanta Braves have serious question marks in the starting rotation. It was previously revealed that Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz were dealing with injuries. On Monday, it was announced that Spencer Strider will also begin the season on the injured list. While Chris Sale is set to lead the rotation, the Braves will need other starters to step up.
Reynaldo Lopez is one of those pitchers. He recently endured a velocity decline. However, he is not worried about it. According to Mark Bowman, Lopez blamed the velocity concern on mechanical issues. The Braves pitcher also reportedly said he felt fine.
Lopez, 32, was an All-Star in 2024. He pitched to an incredible 1.99 ERA across 26 outings with Atlanta that season. He ended up finishing 11th in National League Cy Young voting. Following years of up and down seasons and working as both a starter and reliever, Lopez has established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball.
The 2025 campaign saw Lopez appear in only one game because of an injury, though. He is looking to have a bounce back season in 2026.
Reynaldo Lopez's 2026 Spring Training With Braves
Lopez had a mediocre spring training overall. He started five games and allowed eight earned runs during that span. He recorded 17.1 total innings of work. Overall, Lopez turned in a 4.15 spring training ERA.
He ultimately had 15 strikeouts compared to eight walks. Batters hit .246 against him.
It was not a terrible performance by any means, but Lopez certainly did not look like the 2024 pitcher who was tremendous on the mound. The Braves are hopeful that Lopez will be able to find more consistency for the upcoming season.
At the moment, it seems as if Lopez may be the No. 2 starter in the rotation behind Sale amid all of the injuries. Grant Holmes will follow Lopez, while Bryce Elder is likely going to be the No. 4 starter now.
Atlanta will need to make a decision on the No. 5 starter soon. There are multiple candidates who could end up earning the role.
Regardless, the Braves will need big seasons from their best starting pitchers. Reynaldo Lopez, as the No. 2 starter, is going to need to step up. Atlanta still has a talented overall team, but the starting pitching is uncertain at best heading into the upcoming 2026 MLB season.