In the experience of deja vu all over again, the Atlanta Braves will be without Reynaldo López for effectively the remainder of the regular season.

Manager Walt Weiss said after the 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday that López experienced shoulder discomfort, and he will head to the 15-day injured list. It was revealed as well that this is an issue that López has been deadling with for essentially the entire season.

"It would be one of those things where one outing, I wouldn't feel it - another outing, I would," López said, via Franco Gacía translating. "Feel pain or whatever, and then, you know, some bullpens, I'd be in there, and the velos fine, throwing 93, 96. Other bullpens, I'm in there, and the velos 93, 94."

He added painful wasn't the right word. It was an issue that was there one week, then gone another and then back again.

"Yeah, he didn't look right out there," manager Walt Weiss said as he told the media that López would head to the injured list. "And, you know, went and got him out after three innings because something didn't look right. So, unofortunately, there is a good chance he's going to end up on the IL."

López will undergo an MRI and then decisions will be made from there. He is likely heading back to the injured list after making three starts after being activated from his last stint that saw him miss a month.

Shoulder injuries are nothing new for him either. He was done for the 2025 season after just one start. He had to go get his shoulder cleaned up after what was ruled to be inflammation, and then his recovery took the rest of the slate.

Even during his All-Star 2024 season, he had multiple stints on the injured list.

Notable starters are already on the injured list, with a few already considered done for the season. Bryce Elder can still work his way back after a knee scope. However, Spencer Strider is effectively done for the season. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are questions marks for 2027, let alone 2026.

Wednesday's Starter Determined

While discussing López's injury, Weiss added that JR Ritchie is scheduled to come up and throw for the team on Wednesday.

The right-hander has had a few trips to the majors this season. In 14 apperances, eight starts, Ritchie has pitched to a 4.50 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. As of late, he's been razor sharp for Gwinnett. In back-to-back starts in September, he's allowed three earned runs over 12 1/3 innings pitched (2.13 ERA).

On Sept. 6, he set a Gwinnett franchise record with 15 strikeouts in a start.

Beyond that, we'll have to see how the Braves go about the rotation. AJ Smith-Shawver's performance behind López means they still have another options ready to go.

The plan was for him to pitch out of the bullpen going forward. Plans may have changed in a hurry.

"I don't think anything in this game is easy," Smith-Shawver said about how easy it would be to jump back into the starter role," But it's definitely something that I'm positioned to do, and I have the pitch count. So it's not a matter of getting the pitch count, which is typically the harder part of that. So, I'm here for whatever."

Owen Murphy is another starting pitching option who is currently in the majors. He was recalled Monday morning. For now, the plan for him is to aid the bullpen this week. Time will tell how the latest updates impact him.

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