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Braves Dealt Massive Injury Blow After Jurickson Profar Suspension

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Apr 1, 2025 8:59 PM ET

The Atlanta Braves’ nightmarish start to 2025 just got much, much worse.

Barely 24 hours after losing All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar to an 80-game drug suspension, news broke that Braves pitcher Reynaldo López will undergo right shoulder surgery. The winless Braves placed López on the 15-day injured list ahead of Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Longtime Braves beat reporter Mark Bowman reported Tuesday that the procedure will “determine if [López] has any structural damage.”

“Timetable for return won’t be known until after surgery,” Bowman posted on X (formerly Twitter). “You can expect him to miss at least a couple months.”

The 31-year-old López missed time last August and September with right shoulder discomfort. He allowed three runs and recorded one strikeout over five innings in a 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres last Friday.

López’s injury is the latest blow to a Braves team desperately trying to avoid a total freefall. Profar, a 2024 All-Star selection with the Padres, is out until July and will miss any postseason games the Braves play.

Bryce Elder, himself a former All-Star, replaces López in the Braves’ rotation. Elder, who turns 26 in May, looks to bounce back after posting a 6.52 ERA over 10 starts last year.

López enjoyed a career season for the Braves last year, going 8-5 with a 1.99 ERA and 5.1 bWAR across 135.2 innings. The veteran righty returned to the rotation after spending 2020-23 as a reliever for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, and Los Angeles Angels.

López agreed to a reworked three-year, $30 million contract last November.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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