The Atlanta Braves made a move to add a veteran pitcher after the injury news to Reynaldo López.
López will be shut down for 12 weeks after exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his inflamed right shoulder.
“If everything goes right, I think we expect to see him again before the year is over,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Following the news that he will miss a couple of months, Atlanta made a move to acquire a veteran reliever.
The Braves acquired left-handed reliever Rafael Montero from the Houston Astros along with cash for a player to be named later.
Montero is in the final year of his three-year, $34.5 million deal but has struggled. The reliever has appeared in three games over four innings, allowing two runs. In 2024, he had a 4.70 ERA in 38.1 innings as he has struggled in the past two seasons.
Montero was part of the Astros team that won a World Series in 2022, when he had his breakout season. The hope for Snitker is Montero can find his form in Atlanta.
“They say he’s been throwing the ball well, and he’s got experience,” Snitker said. “You get excited when you get a guy like that. Hopefully, we can help him get back to where he was.”
The undisclosed cash included in the deal will cover a majority of Montero’s $11.5 million salary, according to MLB.com. The reliever will be a free agent at the end of the year.
