The Atlanta Braves entered play on Tuesday on the outside of the National League playoff picture, trailing the New York Mets by a single game in the wild-card race. The biggest reason for their second-half slide has been a seemingly never-ending list of injuries including some of their top players.
They added another player to that list on Tuesday.
Starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez was removed from the game after one inning with what the team is calling right shoulder tightness.
Even more concerning is that before leaving the game, his velocity seemed to be down, while trainers and the coaching staff briefly met with him on the mound.
The 30-year-old Lopez has been having a career year for the Braves, owning a 2.03 ERA through his one inning of work on Tuesday. If he had enough innings to qualify for the league lead, that would be the lowest ERA in baseball.
The Braves are already playing without outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., second baseman Ozzie Albies, third baseman Austin Riley, and catcher Travis d’Arnaud.
Starting pitcher Spencer Strider has also been out for the season after making just two starts.
Losing Lopez for any period of time would be a significant blow to the Braves pitching staff and make their push for a playoff spot even more difficult.
