How could we expect Reynaldo Lopez to dodge a bullet with the way things are going in Atlanta? Of course, it’s bad news.

According to Mark Bowman, the Braves‘ starter will undergo athroscopic surgery on his shoulder to reveal if there’s any structural damage. Bowman added that the expectation is Lopez will miss at least a couple of months, but the timetable for a return won’t be known until after the surgery.

Reynaldo Lopez will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder to determine if he has any structural damage. Imaging only showed inflammation. Timetable for return won’t be known until after surgery. You can expect him to miss at least a couple months.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 2, 2025

Earlier this offseason, the Braves announced a new three-year, $30 million deal that would pay Lopez $8 million in 2025, $14 million in ’26 and $8 million in 2027. Essentially, the Braves guaranteed what had been an $8 million option for 2027.

Shoulder injuries can be tricky. There’s a possibility that Reynaldo Lopez’s shoulder is cooked. Obviously, if there’s no structural damage, that would be the best-case scenario, but not acknowledging the possibility that Lopez’s contract could sour is asinine.

In the short term, the Braves will be relying on a rotation of Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, A.J. Smith-Shawver, Grant Holmes, and it seems Bryce Elder. That is, until Spencer Strider returns, which we can only assume will knock Elder back to Triple-A Gwinnett.

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