Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said that Lopez (knee) completed a bullpen session Tuesday, Jesus Cano of The Athletic reports.
Shortly after Lopez landed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 2 due to left knee inflammation, Weiss indicated that Lopez was expected to return when first eligible Friday. The 32-year-old righty looks like he'll need at least a little extra time beyond that before being activated, and he may also be headed for a role change upon his return. Though Weiss noted Tuesday that he still views Lopez as a starter, the skipper noted that Lopez could be an option out of the bullpen, depending on the club's needs. Atlanta has gotten excellent results from trade-deadline pickup Tyler Mahle in his first two starts, and Weiss may prefer to keep Mahle in the rotation ahead of Lopez, who had started in his last six appearances prior to landing on the shelf and posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 28 innings over that span.