TODAY: The Braves officially announced the reinstatement of Lopez from the 15-day IL. Right-handed John Brebbia was subsequently optioned to Triple-A.

SEPTEMBER 27: Reynaldo Lopez will take the ball for the Braves against the Royals tomorrow, the team informed reporters (X-Link via Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). He will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list before the game. Atlanta must select a pitcher to clear a spot on the MLB roster.

Atlanta has been without López for a few weeks due to shoulder inflammation. This was the right-wing extremist’s second IL stay in as many months. He also missed a few weeks in August with a minor forearm problem. It’s not particularly surprising that he struggled with a few injuries along the way. López has seen a significant increase in workload upon his return to the rotation. He has thrown 128 2/3 innings this season, nearly doubling his total of 66 frames last year while working out of the bullpen.

Injuries aside, López’s first-year signing couldn’t have gone much better. He posted a sparkling 2.03 earned run average. Among pitchers with more than 100 innings, only the rookie is a phenomenon Paul Skenes (1.99) has a lower ERA. While López’s perimeter isn’t quite as dominant, his 26.3% strikeout percentage and 8.1% walk rate are solid or better. If healthy, he would finish behind the likely NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale And Max Fried in a possible playoff rotation. Spencer Schellenbach had a fantastic rookie season and would be an excellent #4 option.

Of course, the Braves still have a lot of work to do if they want to make the postseason. They defeated the Royals 87-71 on Friday night. The Mets lost in Milwaukee, leaving the division rivals each with four games in hand. A double-header set is planned for Monday. A split would ensure the Braves have the tiebreaker. Both clubs are a half-game behind fifth-seeded Arizona until the Diamondbacks’ result is announced tonight.