Braves outfielder/third baseman Austin Riley and reliever Darren O’Day started rehab assignments Friday, the team announced. Riley’s playing at the Single-A level, while O’Day is beginning at the rookie level.
The rookie Riley has been on the injured list since Aug. 8 with a sprained knee. The 22-year-old had been in the midst of a cold stretch before hitting the shelf, but he has still given the Braves decent overall production this season. Riley has slashed .242/.294/.504 with 17 home runs and a .263 ISO in 255 plate appearances on the offensive side, and has chipped in 4 Defensive Runs Saved and a 3.8 Ultimate Zone Rating as a left fielder. His absence, not to mention those of fellow injured outfielders Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte, has weakened the Braves’ depth in the grass. Still, the team has won five in a row and continues to hold a comfortable lead of 5 1/2 games in the National League East.
The Braves’ success this year has come in spite of a maligned bullpen – one that hasn’t gotten a single out from O’Day. The longtime Oriole still hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Braves since they acquired him from the O’s (in a deal centering on the now-gone Kevin Gausman) at the July 2018 trade deadline. O’Day, who was included in the swap for financial purposes, was dealing with a hamstring injury at the time, but a forearm strain has kept him off a major league mound this season.
The 36-year-old O’Day did quality work for Baltimore over 20 innings in 2018, continuing a rather effective career that began in 2008 with the Angels. To this point, O’Day has amassed 555 frames of 2.56 ERA/3.47 FIP ball with 9.28 K/9 and 2.46 BB/9. He’s on a $9MM salary this year, the last season of his contract.
Today’s game is pretty much a preview of what is to come in the postseason. If Swanson, NK, and Riley come back healthy then maybe they have another 1% chance of winning a postseason series.
You’re giving way too much credit to the Dodgers who also have an affinity for closing out series. But of course, that’s your M.O.
That is his M.O. and he also enjoys being tea bagged. Says it reminds him of his moms beef stew
No… Those are just rumors. He actually much prefers his moms roast beef. Especially when there’s cottage cheese on top.
1% is way too generous to win an entire series
I think 1% is closer to the chance of how likely they’ll score a single run
Maybe even collect a single hit
Then, you’ll have to multiply that number against itself the amount of times they’ll need to collect a hit to win a game to get that probability.
Then you’ll need to multiply that against itself 3 times for the probability they’ll win enough games to take a series
I’d say you got some math homework ahead of you but I’m looking forward to the true probability of taking a series
Now my head hurts…..
1% chance of winning a series? They took 2/3 vs Twins, Dodgers and a hot Mets team while banged up. If things hold then the Braves would be favored over NL Central winners even with out Nick, Riley and Swanson. It’s Freeman and Acuna who are irreplaceable. All teams battle through injuries and the Braves have been doing a good job fending off Washington who has been playing well but not making much ground. Folty pitching much better since being recalled from Triple A.
What in the hell are we taking about? The Braves have the third best record in the MLB, and they play in the only division with more then two teams within 3 games of a playoff berth. By the way, the NL East has 4 of those teams.
So winning a hard-fought divisional game on the road against a playoff contender trotting out the reigning Cy Young winner, even with all the injuries, proves to you that we WON’T be able to win a playoff series? You need to step up your troll game, you’re clearly not even trying at this point.
Allourgods is Coppy’s mlbtr account.
I am thinking John Hart. Still it from MLB Network every time his melon pops up on the screen.
That defensive rating for Riley in LF is shocking to me. Was not passing the eye test out there imo but I guess that’s why no one goes by that anymore. I’m not saying he looked like a butcher but I would not have guessed above average.
UZR requires needs about 350 games to stabilize, yet no one ever brings it up. I agree, Riley looks like a Chris Carter clone: all power/mountains of K’s, mediocre defense, max 2-WAR player. Riley needs to learn to take walks to become a star in the league – not saying he won’t though! Still only 22….
He’s also a natural 3B who had never played in the outfield before this season, so it’s probably worth giving him some time before anybody makes a final judgment.
I had heard he had a cannon arm at third, is he just terrible at fielding ground balls?
Most teams wanted to draft him as a pitcher, the arm is there. He’s a 3B long term but playing left in deference to Josh Donaldson at the moment.
No they just have Josh Donaldson at 3rd
Bryce Harper says, “Hold my beer”.
Well be fine. Bullpen starting to come around, and we get healthy in sept
The Man, the Myth, the Legend himself!…Darren O’Day
Yes, AA deserves the win along with the upgraded pitching including Folty, Martin, Greene, Melancon and Jackson. The black uniforms looked great! The white looked like each guys mother made it from flour sacks. O’Day threw 8 strikes with 8 pitches.