Braves’ Reynaldo López impressive in first start in a year

“I thank God that I’m here and I have this opportunity and I’m back. To be able to throw pain-free is a real blessing,” López said via team interpreter Franco Garcia. “To think of just how long it’s been since I’ve actually been able to throw that way, it’s big. It’s a game-changer to be able to throw pain-free like that.

“That was sort of my entire goal when I had the operation. it was just sort of to focus on rehabilitating my shoulder, get that done first, and then after that focus on the mechanics. That’s just sort of how I utilized spring training this year.”

Pitching one year to the day of his last MLB appearance, López totaled 77 pitches, the last of which was hit out of the ballpark by Royals star catcher Salvador Perez. He quieted concerns after his final outing in spring training saw his fastball hover in the high 80s. On Saturday, he fired 10 fastballs that reached at least 95 mph.

López said the issue in spring training was his left shoulder and left hip, “opening up a little early.” He was never concerned with his spring training results, positive or otherwise.

“I understand during spring training people are looking for certain numbers and velo (velocity) and whatever, and I know they didn’t look great in spring training,” he said. “I think that’s fair, but I think for just the entire time it was just about being healthy.”

López (1-0) encountered his first bit of trouble in the third when he gave up a walk and a single with one out. But Maikel Garcia, with runners at the corners, flew out to shallow right and Bobby Witt Jr., with runners at second and third, lined a 97 mph fastball to right for the inning’s third out.

López allowed only a walk and a single over the next three innings before Perez greeted him rudely to start the seventh. That signaled the end of his night, but not before a nice ovation from the home crowd, many of whom had to have appreciated the Dominican’s effort in his return.

“That’s López right there. We weren’t sure what to expect, right? None of us?” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “But he convinced us that he was good and he was gonna be good and he was. He was outstanding.”

Chris Sale, the Braves’ Friday night starter, and López had held the Royals to 15 scoreless innings before the blast from Perez. While understandably way too early in the season to draw any concrete conclusions, the Braves getting back-to-back pitching starts like that to open the season is an awfully good sign.

And for one of them to come from a guy who hadn’t pitched in 365 days could be even more of a positive sign.

“Honestly, after a year without throwing, it almost felt like my first time back in the big leagues,” López said. “I was even a little nervous.”

López threw 47 of his 77 pitches for strikes, threw his slider a tick under 84 mph and finished with a fastball of 94.4 mph on average.