Along with the injury update we received on Robert Suarez yesterday, there were also some minor updates on Joe Jimenez and Reynaldo Lopez.

Let’s start with the man we haven’t seen pitch in a major-league game since 2024. Joe Jimenez has had a plethora of procedures on his knee, and there have been several points where the Braves believed he might never pitch again. That’s unlikely to change this season, but Jimenez was spotted at Truist Park yesterday throwing a bullpen off the mound and getting some love from his teammates.

Snippets from Joe Jimenez’s bullpen session at Truist Park. pic.twitter.com/AnDOB8eJFo

— Jesús Cano (@Jesus_Cano88) August 31, 2026

Jimenez has now thrown quite a few bullpens over the last month or so, suggesting he could conceivably be ready for game action in the near future as long as everything keeps feeling right. However, expecting him back in the majors this season is beyond wishful thinking. He hasn’t pitched in two years, and the Braves are in the middle of a pennant race as they head toward postseason baseball.

It would be a miracle if he showed enough for Atlanta to trust him this late in the year. But the fact we’re even having this conversation is a miracle in its own right. Most believed Jimenez would never pitch again, and now it looks like he has a real chance of returning to the majors at some point next season.

That doesn’t exactly help the Braves. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end, and who knows how much interest there will be in bringing him back. But some things are bigger than baseball, and this is certainly one of those situations.

On Reynaldo Lopez, Walt Weiss said he’ll make at least one more rehab start, and that the Braves want to keep him stretched out as a starting pitcher.

Reynaldo Lopez will make at least one more rehab start. The Braves want to keep him stretched out

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 31, 2026

Given the Braves are currently running a six-man rotation — one that’s been extraordinarily effective since the trade deadline — it’s hard to imagine a role for Lopez as a starter. Atlanta is likely keeping him stretched out in case of emergency. If he plays a role at all down the stretch or in October, I’d imagine it comes out of the bullpen. But it’s very possible the Braves feel they have better options there as well.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)