ATLANTA — Reynaldo López’s chances of being a playoff starter for the Atlanta Braves increased on the eve of his first start since he landed on the injured list over a month ago with left knee inflammation. On Wednesday night, the right-hander had the perfect test to prove he was worthy.But 4 2/3 innings later against the Tampa Bay Rays, who have the best record and OPS in the American League, López exited the game after giving up six earned runs on seven hits in the Braves’ 7-2 loss. The Braves’ lead in the National League East dropped to three games after the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Houston Astros 11-7.After Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle and, more recently, Grant Holmes, the Braves — with 16 games remaining in the regular season — don’t have a clear candidate if they need a fourth postseason starter. And with Bryce Elder going on the IL after left knee surgery, Martín Perez getting lit up against the Phillies on Saturday and AJ Smith-Shawver pitching inconsistently since his recall, López’s shaky outing adds to the uncertainty.“We’ve got six starters right now,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “Those are ongoing conversations with how we’re going to move forward. (We) don’t have anything after the (Phillies) series (this weekend).”Of López’s 80 pitches, 33 were balls, often leading him to pitch behind in the count against a Rays team that has relied on small ball for productivity.