Braves place López on IL with shoulder inflammation

The Atlanta Braves lost a big piece of their rotation Wednesday, as they placed right-hander Reynaldo López on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

The team didn't provide a timetable for his potential return.

"The MRI came back clean," Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters, according to Bally Sports South. "He's got inflammation and, hopefully, we'll calm it down. (We'll) probably give him a few days off then see where he's at when he starts throwing again."

López was removed from Tuesday's start against the Washington Nationals after just one inning with what the team initially called shoulder tightness. His velocity was noticeably down during the brief outing.

This is the 30-year-old's second IL stint this season. He missed time in August due to a forearm issue.

López has been a surprising success in his first season with Atlanta, and his first full campaign as a starter since 2020. He owns a 2.03 ERA over 28 starts, which is the lowest among pitchers with at least 120 innings, along with 137 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP.

His injury is a blow to a Braves squad that's now tied with the rival New York Mets for the final NL wild-card spot. Before his injury, López was a likely candidate to start one of the wild-card series games if the team got there.

Potential rotation replacements in the organization include 2023 All-Star Bryce Elder, former first-round pick Hurston Waldrep, rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, and onetime World Series hero Ian Anderson. All four hurlers are currently pitching at Triple-A and on the 40-man roster. All but Anderson have made appearances in the majors this year.

Atlanta selected infielder Cavan Biggio from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding roster move. Biggio, 29, was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in a minor-league trade on Saturday, and is therefore ineligible to play in the postseason. He'll provide infield depth to a bench that's been hit by injuries in recent days.

To make room for Biggio on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated right-hander Jimmy Herget for assignment. Infielder Luke Williams was also optioned to Triple-A.