ATLANTA -- Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder underwent surgery on his right knee Tuesday and will be out three to four weeks, manager Walt Weiss said.
Weiss said the right-hander, who has made 26 starts this season, has been dealing with discomfort in his knee since the All-Star break, and it got to the point where he needed to have the procedure done if he hoped to be able to pitch in the postseason. Elder flew from Philadelphia to Dallas, where he had the surgery.
Elder is 8-8 with a 4.11 ERA this season. He is second on the Braves behind Chris Sale with 15 quality starts.
"In the first half, he was one of the best pitchers on our staff," Weiss said. "He tried to fight through it. He got to a point where we couldn't really do it anymore."
Weiss said Reynaldo López will replace Elder in the Braves' six-man rotation moving forward and likely will start Wednesday.
López has made 11 starts this season but has been on the injured list with left knee inflammation for six weeks. He made three rehab starts with Triple-A Gwinnett. López is 4-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 24 appearances.
