MRI on forearm 'encouraging' for Suarez, but he still lands on IL

SAN FRANCISCO -- Robert Suarez will likely not rejoin the Braves’ bullpen until after the All-Star break.

Suarez was placed on the 15-day injured list with right forearm inflammation on Friday. But the good news is his MRI showed no structural damage. Hurston Waldrep was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to temporarily fill the roster spot.

“The MRI was actually encouraging,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “There were no issues with the ligament and no structural changes. But it did show inflammation. So we need to shut him down for a little bit.”

Suarez, who has a 0.56 ERA over 31 appearances, would be eligible to return from the injured list on July 9, which is four days before the All-Star break begins.

Weiss was asked if the club is hoping to activate Suarez shortly after the break.

“We’re hopeful, but this early into it, it's just impossible to say,” Weiss said. “I said the other day we didn't think it was serious. That's still the case. The MRI proved that. So, I don't think it's going to be a really long time. I think we're hopeful that it's not too long.”

Suarez has been dealing with right forearm discomfort over the past week. He hasn’t pitched since throwing 28 pitches over 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Brewers on June 19.

Left-hander Dylan Lee will be the Braves’ top setup option while Suarez is sidelined. Tyler Kinley and James Karinchak could also be used as high-leverage options.

With Reynaldo López expected to throw just 30 pitches in Friday night’s start against the Giants, Waldrep will likely be asked to follow him with a few innings. How long he stays in the Majors could depend on how he and Lopez both fare Friday night. Either one could fill the rotation spot that opened when JR Ritchie was optioned following his outing on Tuesday.