Reynaldo López hits IL with right shoulder inflammation

WASHINGTON -- The Braves will have to absorb the absence of another key player, as the team placed placed right-hander Reynaldo López on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday, one day after the All-Star exited his start against the Nationals after just one inning. López will not be eligible to return until Sept. 26, three days before the end of the regular season.

Atlanta recalled right-hander Daysbel Hernández to take López's place, while also selecting infielder Cavan Biggio to the Major League roster and optioning infielder Luke Williams to Triple-A Gwinnett. The decision leaves Atlanta with four starters heading into the final two-plus weeks of the regular season, but their upcoming off-day Thursday should provide a smidge of flexibility in the short-term.

The next time Atlanta needs a fifth starter is Sept. 17, though they could delay that by using some of their veteran starters on four days' rest.

"We'll go these next four and then kinda see how we get there," manager Brian Snitker said. "Hopefully when [López's] time is up, he'll be back."

Snitker said López underwent an MRI on Wednesday that came back clean, revealing no structural damage to the shoulder. López also passed an array of tests on Tuesday night after watching his velocity dip significantly in his lone inning of work. López's fastball averaged 91.9 mph, 3.6 mph lower than his season average, per Statcast. His curveball, changeup and slider all registered averages between 2.3 and 4.7 mph lower than his season averages as well.

“I didn’t really know what was happening,” López said through team interpreter Franco García. “The first pitch went out, and I thought it was 95, and I look up and it was 89. That took me by surprise. That’s something I wasn’t expecting.”

López has been a huge part of the Braves' rotation; his 2.03 ERA through 24 starts leads all MLB starters (min. 100 IP), and before Tuesday’s one-inning start, he’d averaged 5.5 innings across 23 starts. He missed two weeks in August with right forearm inflammation, but has otherwise been healthy, and had been pitching extremely well since returning from the IL, recording a 1.96 ERA and 34 strikeouts across his past four starts.

He could theoretically return to the Braves' rotation for their final regular season series, set for Sept. 27-29, against Kansas City, and/or a potential playoff series after that if Atlanta reaches the postseason. The Braves entered Wednesday tied with the Mets for the NL's final Wild Card spot.

Hernández, 27, has made 10 appearances out of the Braves' bullpen this year, allowing two runs (one earned) over 11 innings (0.82 ERA) with 14 strikeouts. He's posted a 2.59 ERA over 41 2/3 innings in Triple-A, and should provide immediate relief help after Atlanta's bullpen had to cover eight innings on Tuesday following López's abbreviated start.

The Braves are already without reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., ace right-hander Spencer Strider, All-Star third baseman Austin Riley and second baseman Ozzie Albies due to injuries, with Acuña and Strider both out for the season. A converted reliever, López has been critical to the Braves' rotation especially since Strider went down with a season-ending elbow injury in April.