If you’re tired of reading it, I’m damn sure tired of writing it, and the Braves have to feel almost helpless going through it.
After losing six straight games, including two to the Mets on Thursday and Friday, the Braves found themselves in third place and outside the top spot in the National League Wild Card race. It certainly felt like a club that was drowning, but Atlanta responded over the weekend with two convincing victories in which the offense and defense fed off each other, something that hasn’t happened too often this season.
Spencer Schwellenbach continued his impressive rookie campaign on Friday with his most dominant performance of the season. He completed seven shutout innings on just 89 pitches, striking out 11 Mets and allowing only two hits. In fact, New York wouldn’t score a run over the weekend until the bottom half of the 8th inning on Sunday, when Pete Alonso left the yard for a two-run shot. But by that time, the game was well out of hand, as the Braves cruised to a 9-2 victory in the series finale to split.
It’s exactly what the doctor ordered. But unfortunately, the wins are a bit of an afterthought on Monday, as everyone anxiously awaits the diagnosis of Reynaldo Lopez, who left Sunday’s game after three shutout innings with forearm tightness.
The Braves called it precautionary, and there certainly didn’t seem to be any ill effects. Lopez was touching 97 on the radar gun and working out of jams masterfully, but there is no way to sugarcoat forearm tightness, and with the way this season has gone, most are understandably fearing the worst.
At the very least, we can expect Lopez to hit the IL for some period of time. There were always questions about his longevity as he transitioned from the bullpen to a starter, and this could be a sign that he needs some rest. The Braves top priority should be getting as many of their arms healthy for the stretch run. A little time off for Lopez would be the best case scenario.
The worst… well, Lopez could be done for the season. If that’s the case, the Braves might have to take a long look in the mirror in regards to how aggressive they want to be ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Overcoming yet another season-ending injury to such a pivotal piece might be impossible.
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Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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