Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez is moving to the bullpen “for now” to work out a mechanical flaw in his delivery, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss told reporters Sunday.

Lopez began the season as Atlanta’s No. 2 starter after making just one start in 2025 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. He had a 2.18 ERA through four starts this season before he gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in one inning of last Tuesday’s 11-4 loss at Washington.

“We see him as a starter,” Weiss said. “He’s working through some things, delivery wise, that type of thing, and he’s getting right there. And when he’s right, he’s one of our best starters. He was our No. 2 coming out of camp, even with some of the issues at the end of spring training.

“So we see him as a starter long term, but right now, trying to iron some things out. He’s going to help us out of the pen in the short term.”

Lopez has extensive experience both as a starter and reliever at the major league level. He’s posted a 48-55 career record and 3.93 ERA over 273 appearances (128 starts) over 11 seasons.

He earned his first All-Star nod and finished 11th in National League Cy Young Award voting during his first season with the Braves in 2024 when he finished with a 1.99 ERA, 148 strikeouts and 42 walks over 135 2/3 innings.

Atlanta kept 22-year-old right-hander JR Ritchie on its major league roster after he allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven over seven innings in his major league debut Thursday vs. Washington. He’s set to make his first home start Wednesday against Detroit.

The Braves are also expecting right-hander Spencer Strider to make his season debut as soon as this weekend at Colorado after he started the season on the injured list with a strained oblique.

–Field Level Media

Alex Fitzpatrick officially accepted PGA Tour membership following his emotional victory alongside his brother, Matt, in last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

His decision hardly is a surprise, given he said as much following the win, which their parents were on hand to witness.

“I am, indeed, yeah, yeah. I signed as quick as I could. I’m still shaking, and yeah, it was crazy,” the 27-year-old Englishman said during a media interaction at TPC Louisiana on Sunday.

The win was the first on the PGA Tour in his 11th career start for Fitzpatrick, who is now exempt through the 2028 season and is eligible to compete in this week’s Cadillac Championship, the fifth of eight Signature Events this season. The DP World Tour player also qualified for the remaining three — the Truist Championship, the Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship — as well as the 2026 PGA Championship and the 2027 The Players Championship.

Fitzpatrick turned professional in 2022 after his collegiate career at Wake Forest.

–Field Level Media

If Aaron Rodgers plays another season, the Steelers want to make sure it’s with Pittsburgh.

The franchise placed the rare right-of-first-refusal tender on unrestricted free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, ESPN reported on Tuesday morning.

The move means Rodgers can accept a 10-percent raise from last year’s salary ($13.65 million), pushing the four-time NFL MVP to approximately $15 million in base pay. The Steelers guarantee the raise and in return are granted the right to match any offer sheet Rodgers can sign with another team as a free agent.

The Steelers can gain exclusive negotiating rights with Rodgers if he does not sign by July 22 or the first day of NFL training camp.

If Rodgers signs with a new team before that date, he would be a potential compensatory free agent lost by the Steelers and a potential CFA gained by the new team, provided all other requirements are met under the Compensatory Draft System’s rules.

Pittsburgh hired a familiar face in Mike McCarthy as head coach following Mike Tomlin’s resignation in January. Rodgers played under McCarthy during his time with the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers, 42, posted his 15th season with at least 3,000 yards and 20 touchdown passes with Pittsburgh in 2025.

He ranks fourth in NFL history in passing touchdowns (527) and fifth in passing yards (66,274). His career passer rating of 102.2 ranks No. 1 all-time as does his 1.4% interception percentage.

The 10-time Pro Bowl selection won Super Bowl XLV with Green Bay after the 2010 season. He owns a 163-93-1 record as a starter in the regular season with the Packers (2005-22), New York Jets (2023-24) and Steelers.

–Field Level Media