After another bad start, Braves’ López headed to the IL

“We can just get an MRI and then evaluate what’s happening there and then make the decision,” López said, via Braves team interpreter Franco García, when asked if surgery could be an option. “Obviously, we’ll have to determine whether it’s something more severe, something not as serious and, obviously, with the hope to be able to return in 15 days.”

López (4-5) completed six innings of work out of 13 starts only once this season — his first start March 28 against the Royals. He began the season in the starting rotation, moved to the bullpen for a time, then returned to a starting role in late June.

On Aug. 2, López was placed on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation and he began a rehab assignment Aug. 23. He said after Monday’s outing that discomfort — not pain — had been festering in his shoulder for much of the past seven-plus months.

“Yeah, it’s been frustrating. A little bit of a roller coaster. Bothering me since spring training,” López said. “It would be one of those things where one outing, wouldn’t feel it. Another outing I would. Some bullpens I’d be in there, the (velocity) is fine, throwing 93-96. Other bullpens I’m in there and the velo’s 93-94.

“It’s frustrating because it’s not something that feels painful. It’s just something that one week it’s there, one week it isn’t.”

The ineffectiveness of López put the Braves (88-63) in an early hole they couldn’t climb out of, and the loss left their magic number to clinch the National League East at seven (the second-place Phillies were off Monday). The earliest the Braves can clinch a postseason berth is now Wednesday.

The Cubs (84-67) put up a three-spot in the second inning on López and never relented. A double, single, RBI fielder’s choice and walk loaded the bases in front of Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Cubs’ center fielder wrapped a two-run double into the right field corner.

Nico Hoerner’s two-out bloop single to right in the third brought in Michael Busch from third and made it 4-0. Michael Conforto’s double into the right field corner followed that and made it 5-0.

López didn’t come back out for the fourth inning and may have thrown his last pitch of 2026.

“(López) didn’t look right out there,” Weiss said. “I went and got him after three innings because I just didn’t think he looked right.

“He said he’s had some good days and bad days throughout the year. Sometimes he hasn’t felt it at all, and then sometimes he does. We got to change course here if that’s not working, probably give him a little break here and see what happens.”

AJ Smith-Shawver, making his first relief appearance of the season, came in after López and had thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings when Carson Kelly lobbed a single to right in the sixth. Crow-Armstrong came up and yanked a 1-0 fastball into the right field bleachers, making it 7-0.

Crow-Armstrong finished a triple short of the cycle and drove in four runs.

Smith-Shawver ate five innings and allowed just the two runs. He gave up four hits and three walks while throwing 81 pitches (53 for strikes) in a silver-lining to an otherwise bad night at the ballpark for the visitors.

“I think it’s just a different look. The way some of my starts have been going, I think it’s good to just get a little bit different feel, a little different look at it and I was happy with it,” Smith-Shawver said. “I’ve done it before (in previous seasons), so I’m comfortable with it.

“At the end of the day, just here to try to put the team in a good position and just try to win games and just do what they tell me to do.”

Cubs starter David Peterson (8-8) shut out the Braves for six innings while working around three walks and two hits. He struck out seven, including Matt Olson thrice, and threw 85 pitches, the last of which was lined into center field by Michael Harris II to begin the seventh inning that ended Peterson’s evening.

It was just the fourth time this season Peterson had pitched at least six innings.

Harris came around to score after Peterson’s departure, crossing home on a Sean Murphy’s fielder’s choice with right-hander Javier Assad on the mound. Mike Yastrzemski then hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer to cut the deficit to 7-3.

And in the ninth, with the bases loaded and one out and with right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn on the mound, Ronald Acuña Jr. grounded into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.