Braves manager Walt Weiss reveals immediate plan for Reynaldo Lopez amid mechanical issues

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Braves manager Walt Weiss reveals immediate plan for Reynaldo Lopez amid mechanical issues originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves are the first team to reach 20 wins this regular season, boasting a 20-9 record to start the year. While their pitching has been elite overall, Reynaldo López has struggled as of late.

“In 2026, however, that strength has turned into a glaring weakness. López now sits in the 1st percentile in the same metric—a dramatic reversal that highlights just how significantly his slider’s effectiveness has deteriorated. López’s slider has taken a significant step back in 2026, with its whiff rate dropping by more than 11% compared to his dominant 2024 campaign. The results have been just as troubling: opposing hitters have seen their production against the pitch skyrocket, as evidenced by a jump in wOBA from .220 to .440. The pitch lacks its previous sharpness, command has wavered, and it’s being hit harder than ever—a recipe for disaster,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.

After Sunday’s game, manager Walt Weiss revealed the starting rotation for the upcoming series against the Detroit Tigersand also outlined plans for López.

“Walt Weiss said the rotation plan vs Tigers is Martín Pérez (Tue), JR Ritchie (Wed) and Bryce Elder (Thur). López will remain a reliever for now, but they still see him as a starter,” SI’s Harrison Smajovitts wrote.

The reason López is moving to the bullpen in the immediate future is to work on mechanical issues that have been identified.

“Weiss also confirm that former right-handed starter Reynaldo López is heading to the bullpen to work out some mechanical issues that are framed as the culprit of his last two sub-optimal starts,” Battery Power’s DJourn wrote.

López is viewed as a key piece of the rotation, but the Braves are doing whatever it takes to get him back to his best form. It’s still early in the season, so there is plenty of time for him to make the necessary adjustments.

Atlanta and Weiss believe this is the best move to help López return to form as quickly as possible. While time will ultimately tell, López is too talented not to figure things out soon.

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• Braves reporter sounds alarm on Reynaldo Lopez after disastrous outing as numbers collapse​

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