Not only did the Braves come through with a much-needed victory over the Mets last night, but Reynaldo Lopez also took an encouraging step in his recovery from shoulder inflammation, tossing his first bullpen. The right-hander is eligible to come off the IL as soon as tomorrow, and according to Mark Bowman, that seems to be a legitimate possibility. Lopez said he felt great during his bullpen session and is ready to return, whether it be as a starter or a reliever.
Reynaldo López said he feels great and is ready to return as a reliever or starter. He’s eligible to be activated tomorrow
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 25, 2024
With the rest of the Mets series being postponed, the Braves next game will be on Friday if weather permits. That’ll give Reynaldo Lopez even more time to rest up if the club feels he’s ready to contribute.
How the Braves will utilize him moving forward, however, will be interesting. Reynaldo Lopez has now served two different IL stints for fatigue-related arm injuries in as many months. It may be best if the Braves move forward cautiously, using him as a multi-inning reliever to end the season, a role that is so valuable this time of year. That doesn’t mean we won’t see Lopez start again, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we saw him wearing a lot of different hats come October if the Braves can clinch a playoff berth.
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Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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