Atlanta Braves' Newcomer Wins Battle For Fifth Starting Rotation Spot
Reynaldo Lopez has won the battle for the fifth starters spot with the Atlanta Braves.
Per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The Braves optioned Bryce Elder and Huascar Ynoa. Reynaldo Lopez is the fifth starter.
We heard at the end of February that Lopez could be the leader in the clubhouse for the job, and this is where we end up with just 10 days until the regular season begins.
The initial reporting back then indicated that Lopez could end up in the bullpen at some point this year, and that likely makes sense given he hasn't seen a starter's workload in a few years, but for now, he joins the rotation of one of the best teams in baseball.
The 30-year-old Lopez came up as a starter, serving primarily in that role from his major league debut in 2016 until 2020. He made nine starts in 2021 vs. 11 relief appearances and then made 129 relief appearances vs. one start in 2022-2023.
He's shown to be an effective reliever over the last two years, pitching to a 2.76 ERA in 2022 and a 3.27 in 2023. He is an eight-year major league veteran with the Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.
Lopez has a fastball that pushes 100 MPH as a reliever, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the velocity in a starting capacity. He signed a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason.
Other members of the Braves' rotation include Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, Max Fried and Charlie Morton.
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