López, Waldrep both make case for rotation spot in Braves' win

SAN FRANCISCO -- Reynaldo López received another chance to start. But Hurston Waldrep also took advantage of the chance to audition for a spot in Atlanta’s rotation.

The Braves will be among the teams vying for the top starting pitchers available before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. But for now, the top internal candidates to bolster their rotation are López and Waldrep, who combined to help Atlanta end a four-game skid with a 3-1 win over the Giants on Friday night at Oracle Park.

“I'm still not sure what we’re going to do moving forward with these guys, Lopez and Waldrep,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “We’ll get together on those things. But I thought the guys threw the ball well.”

Dylan Lee was actually the most impressive pitcher as the Braves won for just the fourth time in their past 14 games. The All-Star hopeful stranded the two runners he inherited from Waldrep in the seventh. Didier Fuentes also made yet another impressive appearance, getting Matt Chapman to look at three straight called strike fastballs with a runner on second in the eighth. Then, closer Raisel Iglesias shut the door.

Even with top setup man Robert Suarez now on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, the Braves are still rock solid at the back end of the bullpen. But to take advantage of this asset on a consistent basis, the Braves are trying to optimize their rotation with their current internal options.

Weiss said the team doesn’t want to “decondition” Waldrep as a starting pitcher. So, if there isn’t an opportunity for the young hurler to make a start -- or at least be scheduled to throw three-plus innings in a relief role next week -- then he’ll likely go back to Triple-A Gwinnett to further his rehab and development.

Waldrep might soon become a top option for the Braves’ rotation spot. But he is still distancing himself from the Feb. 23 arthroscopic surgery that removed loose bodies that had formed around his right elbow. He’s also still battling inconsistent command.

Waldrep kept the Giants scoreless over two innings, despite issuing four walks. Two of those helped San Francisco load the bases with one out in the fifth. Another led to him exiting with two on and none out in the seventh.

“I was not accustomed to the way the ball was moving here [in the Bay Area],” Waldrep said. “But you know, that's a part of playing across the country and traveling the way we do. You have to adjust to those environments, no matter what.

“That's completely on me to be able to adjust and to make those adjustments. But, then again, if you get out of the jam and you put up zeros, then the walks are irrelevant.”

Walks weren’t a big concern when Waldrep posted a 9.6 percent walk rate to go along with a 2.88 ERA over 10 appearances (nine starts) for Atlanta last year. It’s also misleading to look at the six walks he’s issued in 7 2/3 innings thus far for Triple-A Gwinnett; four were issued as he tried to pitch through rain on June 16.

It might take a little more time for Waldrep, who was in Nashville on Thursday afternoon when he learned he was flying to San Francisco in two hours and would be needed out of the bullpen on Friday. The Braves weren’t initially planning to have him follow López, who entered Friday’s game knowing he wouldn’t throw more than 60 pitches.

Waldrep became the piggyback candidate once the Braves evaluated Suarez’s MRI and knew he would be placed on the IL.

López recorded one strikeout and surrendered four hits, including three doubles, while limiting the Giants to one run over three innings. This was the 2024 All-Star’s first start since he was moved from the rotation to the bullpen near the end of April.

The Braves opted to give López another chance to start after he allowed just one unearned run over three innings against the Brewers on Sunday. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.3 mph during the 58-pitch effort. The pitch averaged 95.5 mph when he posted a 1.99 ERA over 25 appearances (24 starts) in 2024.

López underwent season-ending shoulder surgery during the first week of the 2025 season. He has since battled inconsistent velocity. His four-seam averaged 93 mph during Friday’s first inning, 94.6 mph in the second and 93.8 mph in the third.

“It was a little tough in the first inning,” López said. “I wasn't expecting it to be as cold as it was. But I felt a lot better, and my arm was warm in the second and third innings.”