López pitches 3 scoreless in rotation audition

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Reynaldo López continued making his case to be Atlanta’s fifth starter after allowing just two hits over three scoreless innings in the Braves’ 6-2 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday at TD Ballpark.

The 30-year-old right-hander, coming off a start Monday against Baltimore in which he allowed one earned run over two innings, struck out three and walked one during a crisp 33-pitch (22 strikes) outing.

“Fastball, slider, curve, changeup, all looking good today,” said López.

López and Bryce Elder are considered the fifth-starter frontrunners. But the role could be filled by a number of pitchers, including AJ Smith-Shawver and Darius Vines, during the regular season. The Braves used 16 starting pitchers last season.

Elder has allowed five runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings in his two spring starts.

López’s fastball was consistently between 95 and 97 mph, and he induced a pair of double plays. One came after second baseman Ozzie Albies caught Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s pop-up in shallow center field with his back facing the infield.

“This guy's got big stuff,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It's just consistency, strikes. Just stuff like that. So we'll just see what it looks like.”

López found success as a reliever in 2023, but questions remain about how long he can remain a starter. He hasn’t thrown more than 66 innings in any of the past four seasons.

“As a reliever you have to focus on every pitch, every hitter,” López said. “So, I think to me, I learned a lot as a reliever.”

López had a 4.64 ERA over the 65 starts with the Chicago White Sox from 2018-19.

Belated birthday gift
One day after his 22nd birthday, 2023 first-round Draft pick Hurston Waldrep struck out two and walked over two hitless innings in his first big league Spring Training game.

The right-hander reached 98 mph with his fastball and threw 19 of 34 pitches for strikes.

“It's pretty cool facing a big league lineup and being around all of it,” Waldrep said. “Made some good pitches, needed some pitches, but really just being there enjoying the moment, enjoying the atmosphere.”

The Georgia native pitched for all four of the Braves' Minor League affiliates last year, going 0-1 with a 1.53 ERA in eight starts. He struck out 41 and walked 16 in 29 1/3 innings.

"Kid has got an electric arm, man,” Snitker said. “He just needs work and innings and experience. All the other stuff is there.”

Waldrep’s grandparents and a few friends made it to the game.

“It's really cool to have them here,” Waldrep said. “My mom and my dad are watching. They couldn't make it today, but I know they're watching and cheering from home."

Braves bits
• Left-hander Chris Sale is scheduled to make his second start on Sunday against Philadelphia at CoolToday Park. Sale, limited to 151 innings over 31 starts the previous four seasons due to injuries, worked two perfect innings with four strikeouts Tuesday against the Pirates.

• Ken Giles had his second consecutive strong relief inning, striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and inducing a double-play grounder from Bo Bichette. The non-roster righty fanned all three batters he faced Wednesday against Philadelphia.

“I mean, the slider is real again,” Snitker said. “I liked his stuff. He's not throwing 100 anymore, but that slider is real.”

• Catcher Sean Murphy was scratched due to a stomach bug and was replaced by Travis d’Arnaud. Snitker missed games Tuesday and Wednesday with a stomach bug.

• Jordan Luplow hit a Statcast-projected 411-foot, 104.5 mph two-run homer, in the first inning off Chris Bassitt. He also made a nifty tumbling catch on Danny Jansen’s liner in left field.