Reynaldo López (knee) to make another rehab start

Back after a six week layoff with a knee injury, López was hit hard by the Rays. They rallied for two separate three-run innings where López struggled to end the threats. In the second, Liam Hicks hit a solo home run with one out before allowing a single then brutal two-out walk followed by a double-steal and flare from Jorge Mateo that plated two runs that should never have scored. After that, he let the first batters he faced in the fourth reach base and three wound up scoring. He leaned more so on his slider than usual as he often fell behind in the count and was chasing whiffs, but it didn’t help much. Next up is a matchup with the Cubs in Wrigley Field.

López was placed on the injured list on August 2nd and was expected to miss just two weeks. He will return about five weeks later. He has looked good in his rehab starts and was up to 93 pitches in his last outing, so he should be fully stretched out for his start on Wednesday against the Rays. He would still recommend keeping him on the bench in fantasy leagues for today.

It’s a favorable spot for López against a contact-oriented Tampa Bay lineup as he returns to Atlanta’s rotation for his first start since July 27. The 32-year-old has been on the shelf with knee inflammation for just over six weeks. He struck out six, while throwing 93 pitches, over five shutout innings in his final minor league rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett last Thursday. He’ll slot into the Braves’ rotation with Bryce Elder moving to the bullpen temporarily due to ongoing knee issues.

López allowed three hits and one walk while striking out three and throwing 70 percent of his 50 total pitches for strikes. He did struggle to command his curve, and the velocity on it was down quite a bit, but he located his four-seamer well. His velocity on the fastball was down a bit, but he also threw 78 percent four-seamers in this one, so it doesn’t seem like the veteran was really attacking the lineup like he would in an MLB game. It remains to be seen how many more starts the Braves want him to make in the minors.

López has been down with left knee inflammation since late July. It sounds like he could return as a starting option for the Braves down the stretch as they try to figure out their best postseason rotation.

Atlanta manager Walt Weiss told reporters they still view López as a starter, but he could be an option in relief, depending on their needs down the home stretch. The 32-year-old has been on the shelf with left knee inflammation since late July.

López underwent imaging on his knee, and it showed no structural damage. The right-hander was placed on the IL before Sunday’s game retroactive to July 30, so he could be back as soon as August 15. Don’t be surprised if it’s another day or two — even a bit longer — but it’s encouraging that López has avoided a significant injury.

Lopez was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday due to the injury and will now be shelved for at least a couple of weeks. JR Ritchie was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move on Sunday.

Martín Pérez, Sunday’s scheduled starter, will face the Nationals in his place. As a result, the Nats have altered their lineup to sit Daylen Lile and Jorbit Vivas in favor of Andres Chapparo and Brady House.

López allowed five hits and one walk in a no-decision. He was in line for the win before Atlanta’s bullpen squandered the lead and this one headed to extras. The right-hander has a serviceable 3.64 ERA this season and lines up to face the hot-hitting Nationals next time out.