Braves’ Reynaldo Lopez injury could impact trade deadline plans

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo López has been scratched from his start against the Washington Nationals with left knee inflammation. With the Braves rumored to be in the MLB Trade Deadline market for a starting pitcher, López’s injury might affect their plans.

RHP Reynaldo López has been scratched from tonight’s game due to left knee inflammation. LHP Martín Pérez will now start. https://t.co/g7YIXwgHiW

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 1, 2026

As the Braves sit comfortably atop the NL East, they are in prime position to shake up the hierarchy of the National League by acquiring another ace-caliber arm. Chris Sale is having another Father Time-defying season, but the rest of the rotation is seemingly lacking for a deep postseason run – especially with the likelihood of running into the Los Angeles Dodgers at some point.

One arm the Braves have been connected to is New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. With the Mets barreling towards a lost season, moving Peralta is all but guaranteed in the coming days; Peralta is not having the best season by his standards, but he finished top 5 in NL Cy Young voting last year. He could certainly net quite a haul that the Braves could afford.

Besides Peralta, Robbie Ray is another starting pitcher being linked to the Braves. He and Sale would form a tantalizing southpaw tandem atop the rotation for Atlanta if the Braves were able to pull off a deal. As rotations shorten come the postseason, Sale and Ray would be as formidable a duo as any across MLB.

Stay tuned until the August 3rd MLB Trade Deadline to see if the Braves pull off a move for Peralta, Ray, or another arm elsewhere. With Reynaldo López scratched, urgency might force Atlanta’s hand on bolstering their rotation at any moment.

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