Braves Place Reynaldo López on 15-Day IL and Recall JR Ritchie to Rotation

Overview

• Reynaldo López was scratched from a scheduled start with left knee inflammation and has been placed on the 15-day injured list, with MRI results and a recovery timeline still pending.
• The Braves recalled right-hander JR Ritchie from Triple-A Gwinnett to take López’s rotation spot and he is expected to start the next game against Washington.
• López had split time this season between relief and starts, working as a back-end starter and multi-inning reliever with a 3.64 ERA and solid strikeout and walk rates across about 71 2/3 innings.
• The club’s rotation depth is now thinner with Spencer Strider already unlikely to return this year, increasing the urgency to add a higher-end starter before the deadline.
• Atlanta has recently added low-cost depth pieces such as Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter, and Ha-Seong Kim has finished a rehab assignment and is expected to be activated soon, which will affect bench and infield roles.