Are big changes coming for the Atlanta Braves pitching staff? Due to an influx of recovering arms, Atlanta's bullpen could look much different than what it does right now. Earlier this week, Braves manager Walt Weiss gave injury updates for both Spencer Strider and Hurston Waldrep.
On Tuesday afternoon, Jesus Cano of The Athletic reported that Reynaldo Lopez threw a bullpen session, and once he returns, Lopez could be used as either a starter or a bullpen piece. All of these potential additions to Atlanta's roster could complicate things down the stretch, but it is a "problem" everyone hopes they have to solve.
Reynaldo López threw a bullpen session today. Walt Weiss said they view him as starter, but depending on the team’s needs, is an option in the bullpen.
— Jesús Cano (@Jesus_Cano88) August 11, 2026
Flurry of recovering arms could spell big changes for Braves' bullpen
Lopez is the one pitcher set for an immediate return, and once he is activated, it becomes a question of whether he is used as a starter or bullpen piece. Right now, Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, and Martin Perez have been mostly effective recently in the rotation. However, AJ Smith-Shawver looked pretty dominant in his latest rehab start with Gwinnett on Tuesday, which raises the question of whether he will be slotted into the rotation soon as well.
Shifting Lopez or Holmes to the bullpen feels likely, but outside of Danny Young, there is not a clear transaction to be made on Atlanta's pitching staff. This hodgepodge of arms need time to showcase who is worthy of being placed on the postseason roster.
Truth be told, it's unclear if the Braves have enough time left in the season to properly evaluate all of these hopeful returning pitchers. The upside of a Spencer Schwellenbach or AJ Smith-Shawver would be hard to leave out of a postseason rotation, but if neither has proven they can sustain their stuff deep into games, then the next logical move is shifting those guys into the bullpen.
Right now, all Walt Weiss can do is manage who is on his roster one day at a time. Ultimately, some guys are going to pitch themself into trusted roles, while others pitch themself off the roster. Over the final month-plus, we will find out which direction each of these arms go.
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