Braves make decision on Reynaldo Lopez after ugly start

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss confirmed on Sunday that right-hander Reynaldo Lopez will move to the bullpen following a difficult stretch, while rookie JR Ritchie is set for his second major league start on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers.

Lopez opened the season with five starts, pitching 21.2 innings, but his recent outings haven’t gone smoothly. He allowed a combined seven earned runs across his last two starts, including a four-run outing in a single inning on April 21. His latest start came in an 11-4 loss to the Washington Nationals, where he failed to get out of the second inning, giving up four earned runs over 1+ innings and two batters faced.

Weiss said Lopez is “working through some things, delivery-wise,” and that the move is intended to help him “iron some things out” in relief. Lopez had been Atlanta’s No. 2 starter coming out of camp despite late spring issues. While his 3.74 ERA remains respectable, his strikeout rate stands at 21.1% with an 11.6% walk rate, and his four-seam fastball velocity has dipped to 93.9 mph from 95.5 mph in 2024.

Lopez posted a 1.99 ERA over 135 2/3 innings in 2024, but later dealt with forearm and shoulder issues, leading to arthroscopic shoulder surgery after making only one start in 2025.

Ritchie, meanwhile, debuted on April 23 with seven innings of two-run ball and seven strikeouts in a win over the Nationals. He will face Detroit in his home debut.

Atlanta, which holds a 20-9 record, is also monitoring Spencer Strider, who threw 82 pitches in his third rehab start while recovering from an oblique strain. Strider could return next week. The Braves’ rotation remains fluid, with Martin Perez, Ritchie, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, and Chris Sale lined up depending on Strider’s readiness.