The Atlanta Braves continue to stumble toward the postseason after a 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, their second defeat in a row and sixth in their last 10 games.
The Braves face the Cubs again Tuesday night at Wrigley Field looking to get back on track and build on their 4½-game lead in the National League East over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Before Tuesday’s game, the Braves announced a roster move that affects the starting rotation for Wednesday’s series finale.
Atlanta recalled right-hander JR Ritchie from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, the fifth recall of the season for the 2022 Competitive Balance Round A draft pick, who made his major league debut on April 23, but has not yet been able to stick with the team.
Reynaldo López is headed to the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, and Atlanta needed someone ready to eat innings immediately. The Braves made the announcement on their social media channels Tuesday morning.
Ritchie’s Path Back to the Braves Rotation
Manager Walt Weiss said Monday that Ritchie will start Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Martín Pérez takes the ball Tuesday, Atlanta has Thursday off, and the club opens a series in Houston on Friday. Bryce Elder remains out with a knee injury, which left Weiss searching for innings to take pressure off an overworked bullpen.
Ritchie’s last big league appearance came Aug. 2, a four-inning spot start against Washington that ended with him optioned back to Gwinnett the next day. It marked his fifth trip between the majors and Triple-A this season.
That patience paid off with a Triple-A outing nobody in the organization could ignore. Ritchie struck out a career-high 15 batters over 6 2/3 innings on Sept. 6 against Charlotte, setting a new Gwinnett franchise record and touching 97.2 mph on his fastball, according to a report by MLB.com. The previous team mark of 13 belonged to Spencer Strider and Bryse Wilson. It was the first 15-strikeout game anywhere in the minors since 2024.
Over his last six Gwinnett starts, Ritchie posted a 2.14 ERA across 33 2/3 innings. In the majors this season, he’s 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP, striking out 53 but walking 36 across 58 innings over 14 appearances, eight of them starts.
The 23-year-old right-hander was drafted 35th overall by Atlanta in 2022 out of Bainbridge High School on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in Competitive Balance Round A. The Braves traded outfielder Drew Waters — then Atlanta’s top-rated prospect — righty pitcher Andrew Hoffmann, and infielder C.J. Alexander to the Kansas City Royals for that pick and the rights to draft Ritchie.
Tommy John surgery wiped out most of Ritchie’s 2023 season. He returned in 2024 and broke out in 2025, going 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA across three levels and pitching in that year’s Futures Game. Atlanta ranked him its No. 2 prospect entering 2026.
| ATLANTA BRAVES — REMAINING 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV | Pitcher | Opp. Pitcher |
| Tue, Sep 15 | @ Chicago Cubs | 4:40 PM | MLB.tv / TBS | Perez | Gausman |
| Wed, Sep 16 | @ Chicago Cubs | 4:40 PM | MLB.tv | Ritchie | Imanaga |
| Fri, Sep 18 | @ Houston Astros | 5:10 PM | MLB.tv | Sale | Lambert |
| Sat, Sep 19 | @ Houston Astros | 4:10 PM | MLB.tv | Mahle | Wesneski |
| Sun, Sep 20 | @ Houston Astros | 11:10 AM | MLB.tv | Holmes | Brown |
| Tue, Sep 22 | vs Cincinnati Reds | 4:15 PM | MLB.tv | Lopez | Abbott |
| Wed, Sep 23 | vs Cincinnati Reds | 4:15 PM | MLB.tv | Perez | Singer |
| Thu, Sep 24 | vs Cincinnati Reds | 4:15 PM | MLB.tv / FS1 | TBD | Burns |
| Fri, Sep 25 | @ Miami Marlins | 4:10 PM | MLB.tv | Sale | Perez |
| Sat, Sep 26 | @ Miami Marlins | 1:10 PM | MLB.tv | TBD | TBD |
| Sun, Sep 27 | @ Miami Marlins | 12:10 PM | MLB.tv | TBD | TBD |
| All times Eastern. Schedule reflects games remaining in the 2026 regular season as of September 15, 2026. Pitching matchups subject to change. | |||||
Atlanta Braves Face Rotation Squeeze in Division Race
The Braves entered Tuesday at 88-63, sitting first in the National League East and 4½ games ahead of Philadelphia.
With Elder sidelined and López now on the shelf, Atlanta is leaning on its farm system with no margin left in the schedule. The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers have already clinched postseason spots, and a crowded wild-card chase behind the Braves and Phillies makes the division crown Atlanta’s cleanest path to October.
Atlanta hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2024, and how Ritchie handles Wednesday could decide whether he’s a stopgap or part of the answer down the stretch.
Walks have been the swing skill working against him in the majors. The strikeout stuff has never been in question. Wednesday at Wrigley Field could be his postseason audition.
Braves Announce JR Ritchie Decision Before Cubs Game