The hits keep on coming for the Braves, and this afternoon’s feels like one they might not overcome. After leaving yesterday’s game before the second inning with shoulder inflammation, Reynaldo Lopez has been placed on the 15-day IL. He could conceivably return during the last series of the season, but this is his second IL stint in a calendar month due to fatigue. Most likely, Lopez’s year is done.
That’s really the one thing the Braves couldn’t afford. The offense is what it is at this point. Expecting it to turn around substantially after being one of the least productive lineups in baseball for four months is foolish. However, the Braves pitching staff gave them a leg up on the rest of the league, and Reynaldo Lopez was a wild card ace they couldn’t afford to lose.
Without him, it’s difficult to imagine the Braves doing much of anything, even if they make the postseason, but they sure as hell aren’t going to give up, and somebody has to replace Lopez. The most logical solution being Ian Anderson.
Anderson’s been fully stretched and waiting for his opportunity for a good while now. In his outing yesterday, he tossed six innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts, as he continues to flash an improved repertoire. He’s gone at least five innings in six of his last seven starts for the Stripers, allowing two or fewer runs in five of them.
Ian Anderson will have some big shoes to fill, given everything Reynaldo Lopez has accomplished this season, but let’s not forget what Anderson has done in some of the biggest moments in Braves franchise history. The 26-year-old owns a 1.26 ERA over eight postseason appearances, including five no-hit innings against the Astros in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series. The magnitude of the game is not going to phase him, and there’s a chance Ian Anderson ends up being a key piece to the Braves down the stretch.
What a comeback story that would be?
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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