Trade season is fully underway, and the Braves have already addressed a couple of their needs. They completed a trade late Saturday night for outfielder Lane Thomas and lefty pitcher Bailey Falter. Prospects Lucas Braun and Carter Holton.
However, there is much more work to do, and an untimely injury update made that much more apparent. Martin Perez was fantastic on Saturday as he allowed just one hit over seven innings against the Nationals.
He wasn't originally slated to start that game, but was a last-minute replacement after Reynaldo Lopez tweaked something in his knee during warm-ups. Atlanta manager Walt Weiss announced after the game that Lopez will be placed on the injured list.
🚨 DEVELOPING: Braves RHP Reynaldo López is expected to be placed on the injured list, manager Walt Weiss said.
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) August 2, 2026
López will undergo an MRI on his left knee after injuring it before Saturday's start. pic.twitter.com/IB0H2rkSne
Reynaldo Lopez's unfortunate injury puts the Braves in a tough spot as trade deadline looms
The right-hander will undergo an MRI on his knee to see the severity of the injury. While he hasn't been a mainstay in the rotation for a while, he has provided some valuable bullpen depth for the Braves. This makes things a bit tougher on the front office, as they're already without Robert Suarez. They may need to look at acquiring a right-handed arm for the bullpen.
While Lopez isn't blowing anyone away, he's pitched respectably well with a 3.64 ERA over 71 innings. His main issue has been walks and allowing home runs. But ever since his fight with Jorge Soler, things just haven't been the same for him.
Bailey Falter hasn't pitched much in the bigs this season, but he could be a solution for the Braves needing another lefty in the bullpen. There are options internally to replace Lopez, but they haven't been super dependable.
It's been a constant rotation of arms all season, and Atlanta would like to get more consistency from their relievers. Maybe Atlanta can turn to someone like Anthony Senzatela from the Rockies to give them a similar arm to Lopez.
Atlanta has been successful at turning Rockies pitchers into some of the best relievers. Senzatela has had a great season and wouldn't cost very much. It isn't what the Braves hoped to hear at the trade deadline, but luckily for them, it's the perfect time to fix it.
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