Lopez did not factor into Tuesday's decision against the Marlins, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out six across five innings.
Lopez was back in the rotation for Atlanta after serving his five-game suspension. He got off to a rough start by allowing four runs through the first two innings, but he settled in to keep the Marlins off the board for the rest of his outing. Lopez generated only five whiffs on 96 pitches (53 strikes) but struck out five of the last 10 batters he faced. Through four starts, Lopez has a 2.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB over 20.2 innings. His next start is tentatively slated for this weekend on the road against the Phillies.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Back in rotation Tuesday
Rotowire
Lopez will start Tuesday's game against the Marlins at Truist Park after completing his five-game suspension.
During his most recent start April 7, Lopez was ejected midway through the fifth inning for throwing at Jorge Soler and exchanging punches with the Angels designated hitter. Lopez was handed a seven-game suspension a day later, but he quickly reached a settlement with Major League Baseball on a five-game ban, which he began serving immediately. Due to an off day last Thursday, Atlanta was able to get by temporarily with four starters, so Lopez didn't end up missing a turn through the rotation.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Suspension reduced to five games
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Lopez's suspension has been reduced from seven to five games after he reached a settlement with Major League Baseball, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Lopez had been handed a seven-game ban after throwing a pitch near the head of the Angels' Jorge Soler in Tuesday's game that led to a benches-clearing brawl. Between the successful appeal and a team off day Thursday, Lopez will not have to miss a start. He's lined up to take the ball Tuesday at home against the Marlins.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Handed seven-game ban, will appeal
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Lopez was issued a seven-game suspension for his role in a benches-clearing incident during Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Angels, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. Lopez will appeal the suspension.
Making his third start of the season Tuesday, Lopez was tossed from the game in the fifth inning shortly following a wild pitch near the head of batter Jorge Soler. Soler took exception to the inside pitch -- the slugger clubbed a homer and was also hit by a pitch earlier in the game -- and then charged the mound, with both he and Lopez exchanging punches in the ensuing fracas. Both players have chosen to appeal their respective seven-game bans and will be eligible to play until the appeal process is completed. For the time being, Lopez tentatively lines up to make his next start Monday versus the Marlins.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Tossed from Tuesday's game
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Lopez was ejected from Tuesday's game against the Angels after getting into a fight with Jorge Soler.
After giving up a two-run homer to Soler in the second inning, Lopez plunked the 34-year-old outfielder with a 96-mph fastball in the third and threw another pitch near his head in the fifth, prompting Soler to charge the mound. Both players were ejected after trading punches and may also receive a suspension from MLB. Lopez finished the day with two unearned runs allowed on three hits and two walks while logging seven strikeouts over 4.2 innings.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Cruises to victory
Rotowire
Lopez (1-0) earned the win over Arizona on Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three batters over five innings.
Lopez gave up Jordan Lawlar's first MLB homer -- a big 424-foot solo blast -- in the third inning, but that's the only run the veteran hurler allowed. Meanwhile, Atlanta had a big day on offense, with an eight-run fifth inning giving Lopez an enormous cushion ahead of his final frame. The right-hander has had a nice beginning to the campaign, allowing just two runs (both on solo homers) over 11 innings while posting a 6:3 K:BB across his first two starts. Lopez made only one appearance last season before injuring his shoulder and missing the remainder of the campaign, but he was an All-Star in 2024, so it's feasible that he could be a viable fantasy asset throughout 2026 if he can remain healthy.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Six strong innings in season debut
Rotowire
Lopez took a no-decision Saturday against the Royals, allowing one run on three hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out three.
Lopez might not have been overly dominant in his season debut, but he kept the Royals quiet until Salvador Perez opened the scoring with a seventh-inning solo shot. It was particularly encouraging to see the right-hander get his fastball velocity as high as 97 mph, considering he was rarely breaking 90 mph this spring after missing most of 2025 due to shoulder surgery. Lopez tossed 77 pitches Saturday, and he'll be trying to further build himself up during his next scheduled outing in Arizona.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Velocity up after mechanical tweak
Rotowire
Lopez's velocity returned in a bullpen session Tuesday following a mechanical adjustment, Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Lopez pointed to mechanical problems as the reason he averaged just 89.2 mph with his four-seamer in his final Grapefruit League start against the Twins. It appears he's fixed the issue and regained some pep on the fastball, though it's unclear just how much harder Lopez was throwing in Tuesday's bullpen session. The righty averaged 95.5 mph with his four-seamer during his last full season in 2024, and it would be a big ask for him to get back to that level after shoulder surgery. Lopez is scheduled to make his season debut Saturday against the Royals, and fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his radar-gun readings in that outing.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Blames velocity dip on mechanics
Rotowire
Lopez said Monday that he is fine physically and mechanical issues are to blame for his diminished velocity during Sunday's Grapefruit League outing versus the Twins, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Lopez averaged just 89.2 mph with his four-seamer in the start, yielding four runs on five hits and two walks over 4.2 frames. The right-hander's velocity has been down all spring, though not to the level it was Sunday. Lopez could see an uptick in velocity after the regular-season adrenaline kicks in, but it's also possible this is the new normal for him as he comes back from shoulder surgery. The 32-year-old is scheduled to make his season debut Saturday against the Royals and should probably be left on fantasy benches for the time being.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Continues to build up
Rotowire
Lopez gave up three runs on five hits and two walks over 3.2 innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, He struck out six.
While the right-hander's final line wasn't pretty, Lopez got stretched out to 73 pitches (48 strikes) and remains on track for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. He isn't yet showing the velocity he carried prior to last year's shoulder injury, however -- Lopez topped out at 94.3 mph with his four-seamer Tuesday and had trouble reaching 90 mph consistently in his final inning of work, after he averaged 95.5 mph with the pitch in 2024. With Atlanta already down Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), Hurston Waldrep (elbow) and other starting options, the team needs Lopez to be both healthy and effective in 2026, so his 2.84 ERA and 14:6 K:BB over 12.2 spring innings is at least encouraging.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Sharp in second spring outing
Rotowire
Lopez gave up one hit and one walk over three scoreless innings during Atlanta's split-squad game against the Rays on Sunday. He struck out three.
The 32-year-old right-hander fired 27 of 42 pitches for strikes in an impressive outing, although it came against a Tampa Bay lineup that featured only a couple regulars headlined by Yandy Diaz. Lopez made only one start in 2025 before being lost to shoulder surgery, but he's looking healthy so far in camp -- he's tossed five scoreless innings in two Grapefruit League appearances with a 5:2 K:BB. He had trouble maintaining his velocity Sunday, however, and while he topped out at 94.5 mph with his fastball, he was sitting between 89.9 mph to 91.7 mph in his third and final frame. If Lopez's arm holds up, he'll be locked into an Opening Day rotation spot for Atlanta.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Locked into rotation spot
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that Lopez will open the season in the team's rotation, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Lopez is coming off a lost 2025 season, having made just one start before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder. He's in Atlanta's camp with a clean bill of health, although it will be interesting to see in spring training how his stuff looks post-surgery. Lopez was an All-Star for Atlanta in 2024, finishing with a 1.99 ERA and 148:42 K:BB over 135.2 innings.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Will be stretched out as starter
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Lopez (shoulder) will be stretched out as a starting pitcher during spring training, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Weiss noted that Lopez could eventually become a bullpen option if that's the route the team ultimately decides to take, but for the time being Lopez will prepare to be in Atlanta's 2026 rotation. The right-hander missed nearly the entire 2025 season following arthroscopic shoulder surgery in April, but he was throwing off a mound by September and should be ready for the start of spring training.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Throws off mound Friday
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Lopez (shoulder) threw 20 pitches off the mound Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Lopez will throw five more bullpen sessions over the next couple weeks, and the plan is for the right-hander to face live hitters Sept. 30. Lopez will obviously miss the remainder of the 2025 season if that's the plan, but it sounds like he should be close to fully recovered by spring training next year. While Lopez has said he wants to remain a starter, he now says he'd be open to a return to the bullpen, according to Bowman.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: In early stages of throwing program
Rotowire
Lopez (shoulder) recently resumed playing catch but remains without a timeline to return from the 60-day injured list, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander underwent arthroscopic surgery April 1 and was cleared to start throwing again after the All-Star break, but he remains in the early stages of his rehab program. Lopez still appears to have a shot at returning before the end of the season, but if he doesn't advance to throwing off a mound within the next week or two, he likely won't have enough time to get stretched back out for a starting role. Pitching out of the bullpen in September could be an option, however.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Undergoing surgery Tuesday
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Friday that Lopez's right shoulder surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The operation is arthroscopic in nature, but the extent of the damage in Lopez's shoulder won't be known until the surgery is performed. He's already been moved to the 60-day injured list and is likely out until the second half even in a best-case scenario.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Sent to 60-day IL
Rotowire
Atlanta transferred Lopez (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Lopez is scheduled for arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, and a best-case scenario would see the right-hander return within a few months of the procedure. Until then, he'll concede his 40-man roster spot to Jason Delay, who was acquired by Atlanta on Thursday in a trade with the Pirates.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Slated for surgery
Rotowire
Lopez will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Imaging on Lopez's shoulder revealed only inflammation, but the 31-year-old righty will go under the knife to determine if he has any structural damage that needs correcting. Atlanta will have more information on the duration of Lopez's IL stint once the surgery is completed, but he shouldn't be expected to return for at least a couple of months.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Goes on IL with shoulder inflammation
Rotowire
Atlanta placed Lopez on the 15-day injured list Monday with right shoulder inflammation.
Lopez's velocity was down throughout spring training, and while it ticked back up in his season debut against the Padres on Friday, he managed just one strikeout over five innings. The right-hander will go on the IL with an arm-related concern for the third time since last season's All-Star break. Bryce Elder was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Lopez's spot on the roster and will start in his place Wednesday versus the Dodgers. Lopez will be eligible for activation in mid-April, but his absence is likely to extend beyond that.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Escapes with no-decision Friday
Rotowire
Lopez came away with a no-decision in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Padres, allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out one.
The right-hander didn't display the same kind of dominance or efficiency he flashed in his breakout 2024 campaign and threw only 58 of 94 pitches for strikes in his season debut, before exiting with the score tied 3-3. On the bright side, Lopez's velocity didn't seem to be an issue -- he sat 94-96 mph with his fastball most of the night and topped out at 98.1 mph against Manny Machado in the third inning. Lopez is scheduled to face another tough opponent next week in a road clash with the Dodgers.
