March 3, 2021 12:30 PM : Lopez has been working on a breaking pitch to add to his fastball, sinker, cutter and changeup, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports. "It can only help me," Lopez explained Tuesday after throwing two shutout innings in his first spring training appearance. "As a starting pitcher, your main focus is you have to go through the lineup three or hopefully four times, so the more good pitches you have that you feel comfortable throwing in any count, the more unpredictable you remain, which is a huge weapon. You don't want to fall into patterns. You don't want to become too predictable."
Analysis: The right-hander had previously thrown a curveball in the minors which he'd scrapped, but Lopez thinks the shape of the new offering will be a better match for his arm slot. He added the cutter to his arsenal just last season with immediate positive results, as he shaved nearly 1.5 runs off his ERA compared to 2019 and posted a career-high 24.1 percent strikeout rate. If Lopez can find a fifth effective pitch to add to the mix, he may be able to take another step forward in 2021.