Raffy

Lopez

Lopez was designated for assignment on Opening Day as the Braves made their final roster moves. The 31-year-old backstop owns a 184/.270/.322 career batting line at the MLB level.

The Braves picked up Lopez from the Padres in November. They’re likely hoping to keep him in Triple-A as a non-roster player, but it’s a little easier for them to risk losing some catching depth with Alex Jackson having emerged as a viable fallback.

Lopez has hit just .190/.261/.381 this spring. The Braves will go into the season with Tyler Flowers and Brian McCann as their top two catchers.

Lopez batted just .176/.265/.284 over 117 plate appearances this past season in San Diego. He’ll be organization depth at catcher for the Braves in 2019.

The Reds needed to add a catcher with Tucker Barnhart battling a bruised hand. Second baseman Tony Renda was demoted to Louisville in the corresponding move. Lopez has hit just .213 with one homer over 155 minor league at-bats this season.

The Reds needed to clear a roster spot for backup catcher Raffy Lopez. Renda played sparingly in his month with Cincinnati, making only five starts at second base and left field. There’s a good chance the Reds will welcome him back when rosters expand in a few days.

Lopez served as the Reds’ third catcher in September and went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts. He spent most of the 2016 season at Triple-A, slashing .213/.262/.297 in 169 plate appearances.

Lopez came through with a two-run single in the fourth inning that briefly gave the Jays a 2-1 advantage. He has struggled at the plate in his limited action, hitting just .105/.190/.105 with no homers, two RBI and a 9/2 K/BB ratio in 22 plate appearances.

He’ll back up Russell Martin while Miguel Montero (groin) is sidelined. Lopez, 29, has hit .288/.370/.563 with 16 homers between Double- and Triple-A this season.

The Cubs view Kyle Schwarber as their catcher of the future and want to give him as many reps as possible. Lopez has posted a respectable .276 average in 46 games for Triple-A Iowa this season, though his power has been nonexistent (no homers in 156 at-bats). The 27-year-old shouldn’t have trouble finding a new team.