Should the Braves Be Concerned About Reynaldo López?

The Atlanta Braves haven't seen the consistency they expected out of right-hander Reynaldo López who joined the team on a three-year, $30 million deal before the 2024 season.

Since then, he has struggled to remain healthy. López only appeared in 26 games and made 13 starts this year, compiling a 4.54 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 73 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched.

The 32-year-old had a strong outing against the Baltimore Orioles on July 26, striking out six batters before left knee inflammation prompted a stint on the injured list that lasted until Sept. 9. Unfortunately, he went on to suffer back-to-back losses and his season was cut short after he exited his start against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 14 with shoulder discomfort.

López's shoulder has been an issue since 2024. When he was healthy, Lopez posted a dominant 1.99 ERA and fanned 148 batters through 135.2 innings of work. Like this year, his shoulder would be the culprit behind him having a limited first season with the Braves.

Regardless, López's shoulder flared up once again in 2025, causing him to miss almost the entire season. During his lone outing that year, he gave up nine hits and three earned runs to hand the Braves a 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres.

As a result, López has shown that he's got the stuff to keep major-league hitters off-balance but his body clearly hasn't been able to hold up over the years. 

While the Braves' exit in the NL Division Series this year can be linked to their offense's inability to hit when it mattered, Atlanta's pitching depth suffered as Tyler Mahle and All-Star Chris Sale were the team's only top starters.

Atlanta would also lose right-hander Bryce Elder and veteran Martín Pérez, but López's absence from the rotation spells more trouble in the future not only due to his previous injury history but also his age with him turning 33 in January.

Going into next season, the Braves should continue to be a strong contender in the league with many familiar faces like Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr. making their return to the lineup.

Still, the Braves will need López back at full strength in order to preserve their bullpen in games when Sale or Mahle is not pitching.

If López's shoulder problems linger though, his days as a Brave may be numbered with him set to enter free agency upon the conclusion of the 2027 season.