**Braves’ Pitching Crisis Deepens: López to IL Amid Nightmare Season Start**
The Atlanta Braves’ disastrous opening week took another grim turn as right-hander **Reynaldo López** landed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to March 29) with **recurring right shoulder inflammation**—the same issue that plagued him in 2024. To fill the void, Atlanta recalled **Bryce Elder**, who will start Wednesday despite a rocky spring and a brutal 2024 campaign (6.52 ERA in 49.2 IP).
### **Why This Stings**
– **López’s Fragile History**: The 31-year-old, signed last offseason to bolster the rotation, already missed time in 2024 with shoulder and forearm issues. His 1.99 ERA last year masked durability concerns, and after just **one 2025 start**, he’s sidelined again.
– **Rotation Roulette**: With **Spencer Strider** (UCL rehab) still weeks away, Atlanta’s depth now hinges on unproven arms:
– **AJ Smith-Shawver** (rookie)
– **Grant Holmes** (4.98 ERA in 2024)
– **Bryce Elder** (5-run disaster in lone Triple-A start)
– **Offseason Gamble Backfires**: The Braves opted *not* to add rotation help this winter, banking on López’s resurgence and Strider’s eventual return.
### **Broader Collapse**
The Braves’ nightmare extends beyond pitching:
**0-4 Start**: Swept by the Padres, now NL East cellar-dwellers.
⚾ **Profar Suspended**: Top offseason bat **Jurickson Profar** hit with an 80-game PED ban, ruling him out until July and postseason ineligible.
### **Silver Linings?**
– **Strider’s Imminent Return**: The ace is progressing in rehab and could rejoin the rotation by May.
– **Sean Murphy’s Rehab**: Catcher begins Triple-A assignment Tuesday, offering a lineup boost soon.
### **What’s Next**
Elder’s Wednesday start against the Dodgers looms large. If he falters, Atlanta’s thin rotation could unravel further, turning April into a desperate scramble. With the Phillies and Mets surging, the Braves’ margin for error is gone.
*One week in, Atlanta’s season already hangs by a thread. Can Snitker stop the bleeding—or is this the start of a lost year?*
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