Reynaldo Lopez Could Be Favorite For Final Rotation Spot
10 months agoMLB's Mark Bowman writes that it feels like Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez might be the early favorite to start the year as Atlanta's fifth starter behind Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Chris Sale. However, how long Lopez remains a starter remains to be seen. He hasn't thrown more than 66 innings in any of the last four seasons, so the Braves will need to closely manage his workload. Lopez had a 4.64 ERA over the 65 starts he made for the White Sox from 2018-19. He could end up back in the bullpen, but the Braves think he can be better than he was with the White Sox as a starter with more experience, better game-planning and a better defense behind him. He's currently competing with Bryce Elder, A.J. Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep and others for the No. 5 rotation job.
Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman