Atlanta Braves News: Atlanta Drops Series Opener to Cubs, Owen Murphy and J.R. Ritchie Return to Atlanta
Bad Start to the Week in Chicago.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 14: The Atlanta Braves suffered a 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday at Wrigley Field. Despite a chance to make the game more exciting in the late innings, it remained largely uncompetitive. A.J. Smith Shawver provided a solid relief performance, but the game's highlight was the continued struggles of Reynaldo López.
López had two ineffective starts since returning from the injured list. He informed the team that he would be out of action if issues arose during the season. Consequently, he is set to return to the injured list. This marks a youthful shift for the Braves, as Owen Murphy was recently DFA'd by the team to make room for him. Additionally, J.R.
Ritchie is scheduled to start for Atlanta on Wednesday, likely as a replacement for López. Austin Riley has been nominated for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award by the Braves. On the business side, there are indications that the team may consider selling, as some shareholders are open to the idea. In pitching, Chris Sale's season ranks among the best in Braves' history, according to Mark Bowman.
The Dodgers and Yankees have both advanced to the playoffs, leading to uncertainty about Edwin Diaz's playoff impact for the Dodgers.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
