A day after Atlanta Braves rookie starting pitcher J.R. Ritchie couldn't even hold a 4-0 lead for half an inning, the club decided to send him back to Triple-A Gwinnett after his second straight poor start. With the off day on Thursday, fans assumed the Braves would go with four starters.
Instead, the Braves were quick to announce that Reynaldo López, who was moved to the bullpen at the end of April, would re-enter the rotation and start this weekend against the Giants. López did complete three innings in his most recent relief appearance, but the Braves noted he would be on a pitch limit.
Of course, the timing of this announcement is odd, especially considering recent comments from management about the state of the bullpen.
Reynaldo López decision comes at peculiar point in time for the Braves and their bullpen
The state of the Braves rotation, especially since Spencer Strider went on the IL, has not been pretty. Bryce Elder has regressed severely, with his ERA rising over a run in just the last three weeks, while Grant Holmes and J.R. Ritchie struggled with command, leading to early exits.
Most fans would agree a shakeup in the rotation is needed. However, most would also be aware moving a reliever to the rotation midseason takes time. The Braves confirmed that Reynaldo López will be capped at roughly 60 pitches, far fewer than a typical starter would throw.
With the Braves having two off days sandwiched in-between their series in San Francisco, the club shouldn't have an issue covering the extra innings, but the debacle in San Diego on Tuesday night isn't going to reassure fans much, considering the club blew a game they needed to win because their bullpen arms weren't 100%.
In the long run, moving López back into the rotation is likely the best move at the moment, and if they get creative, they could stretch out multiple guys going forward, but going with a starting pitcher who's guaranteed to not give you innings to start the series, right after the bullpen couldn't even cover four innings with a lead, isn't going to stop the late June panic.
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