The Atlanta Braves watched Charlie Morton and Max Fried walk away to new teams in free agency this offseason. Morton signed with the Baltimore Orioles on an affordable contract while Fried landed with the New York Yankees on a massive deal. But with Spencer Strider returning from elbow surgery this season alongside the emergence of prospects Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver, the Braves didn’t seem too worried about their pitching staff.

Reynaldo Lopez was supposed to be a huge part of Atlanta’s rotation this season, but he’s made just one start before he was sidelined with shoulder pain. It seemed like it was just inflammation at first, but he’s not set to return for a while. While the righty has remained away, the situation has only gotten worse.

Braves manager Brian Snitker recently announced that Lopez will undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery to scope out the damage in his shoulder. The Braves remain hopeful that Lopez pitches again this season.

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Sonny Gray or Erick Fedde would be perfect Reynaldo Lopez replacements

Right now, it seems as though former All-Star Bryce Elder is going to step into Lopez’s place, but this could be the worst-case scenario for the Braves. With Elder on a very short leash considering his horrendous season last year, the Braves need to have the St. Louis Cardinals on speed dial just in case they need to make a trade for one of the Cardinals’ starters.

Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde are potential trade pieces for St. Louis. Fedde is on an expiring contract and doesn’t serve much of a purpose on a rebuilding Cardinals team. The righty was excellent last season for the Chicago White Sox before being traded to the Cardinals. He has one excellent outing for St. Louis this season.

Gray isn’t on an expiring deal like Fedde, but he’s seen as the better pitcher for good reason. The righty has been excellent for the last few years while having a solid start this season as well.

With Lopez looking at a return in a few months at the earliest, the Braves will need to add somebody to this rotation. They have a bit of talent, but players like Elder, Grant Holmes, and Smith-Shawver can’t be fully relied on at this point.