The Braves announced Monday that Austin Riley has been diagnosed with a fractured right hand that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. With just under six weeks remaining on the regular season schedule, it could very well prove to be a season-ending injury for the two-time All-Star. Riley was hit by a pitch in yesterday’s game, and while initial imaging was inconclusive, an MRI performed Monday revealed the fracture. Atlanta will presumably make a corresponding roster move to place Riley on the injured list and bring up another infielder (e.g. Nacho Alvarez Jr.).
Atlanta also announced that right-hander Reynaldo Lopez has been reinstated from the injured list, with right-hander Jimmy Herget being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in his place. He’s been out since Aug. 2 due to inflammation in his right forearm.
The loss of Riley is another crushing blow for a Braves club that has been hammered by major injuries all season. Even on Opening Day, Atlanta lost catcher Sean Murphy to an oblique strain that ultimately cost him about two months of the season. That set the tone for a 2024 campaign that has seen Spencer Strider (torn UCL and internal brace surgery), Ronald Acuna Jr. (torn ACL), Ozzie Albies (fractured wrist), A.J. Minter (hip surgery) and Michael Harris II (Grade 2 hamstring strain) all endure considerable, if not season-ending injuries.
Riley, 27, hasn’t been at his best all season but has, until now, been in the lineup nearly every day. He’s also picked up the pace considerably since a dreadful start to the season. Riley lugged an awful .228/.295/.353 slash into the month of June … and has since erupted with a .275/.339/.531 that falls right in line with his career averages. In a lineup that’s frequently been without some of its best hitters, he’s been a constant alongside designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Now, it’s very possible that Riley’s 2024 season will draw to a close with 110 games played — although the specific wording of the team’s announcement leaves the door cracked for Riley to perhaps play a few games late in September if he heals more quickly than expected and the Braves are still in Wild Card contention.
In some ways, the fact that the Braves are even still in possession of a Wild Card spot is remarkable. Strider pitched in just two games and yielded seven runs in nine innings prior to landing on the shelf with what became a season-ending ligament injury. Acuna played in only 49 games. Acuna, Albies (90), Harris (72) and Murphy (50) have all played in fewer than 100 of the Braves’ 124 games this season.
While the Braves have had exceedingly poor injury luck, they’ve also had several things go right. Atlanta has improbably gotten not only a healthy season out of Chris Sale but a vintage, Cy Young-caliber showing out of the 35-year-old lefty, who’s thrown just 10 fewer innings this season than he did in the entire four-year period preceding the 2024 season. Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach has debuted and outpaced expectations. Reynaldo Lopez has improbably gone from reliever to Cy Young-caliber results himself.
Still, the loss of Riley is a gut-punch, particularly given how well he’d been hitting since the calendar flipped to June. The top of the Braves’ order will now need to rely on the aforementioned Ozuna, deadline pickup Jorge Soler and a trio of stars who’ve struggled through down seasons: Harris, Murphy and Matt Olson. Atlanta has gotten solid production out of some bargain-bin pickups like Ramon Laureano and Whit Merrifield, but the offense they’re trotting out on a nightly basis moving forward won’t resemble the powerhouse lineup they were expected to field this season.
Riley will likely be replaced by some combination of Alvarez and Luke Williams, neither of whom has looked comfortable against big league pitching this season. Alvarez, the organization’s top position-player prospect, still has just 38 games of Triple-A experience. He’s hit well there, but the 21-year-old went 3-for-30 in his first taste of the majors earlier in the summer and likely still needs some additional development time. He’d never played above A-ball prior to 2024. Williams is 2-for-17 in the majors this season. The 28-year-old journeyman has seen action in parts of four big league campaigns and is a .218/.277/.284 hitter in 283 trips to the plate.
At seven games back and now down another star player, Atlanta doesn’t have much of a path to overtaking the Phillies for the NL East crown. The Braves currently hold the final NL Wild Card spot but are only two games up on the division-rival Mets and four games up on the Giants. The Cardinals, Cubs and Reds are all within six games of that final postseason slot as well.
Brutal!
reeves – Agreed, I feel for the Braves having to endure so many significant injuries to key players this season.
Amazing they are still firmly in the postseason picture, of course thanks in large part to Mr. Sale and Mr. Ozuna.
I am very grateful my team has managed to keep their best players such as Duran, Devers, Abreu, Houck and Yoshida relatively healthy all season. If any of those guys had lengthy injuries, the team would probably be in the cellar right now.
With Casas back, if they go with Jansen behind the plate and Wong at second, that is a long lineup. Even Ceddanne gets a lot of big hits.
hayzee – Do you really want to carry Gasper the rest of the season?
This age of pitchers closing their eyes and throwing as hard as they possibly can really, really sucks.
Yes no one used to get hit before. I assume you know nothing about baseball before 2016. Pitchers used to intentionally hit batters in the head or body much more frequently and injuries happen just as much at 90 mph so stop trying to push some agenda.
And yet in that era, there was Brave second baseman, Mark Lemke – over 3500 MLB at bats, swinging from both sides of the plate and never hit by a pitch in his career.
To be fair, Lemke hit the ball about as often as it hit him. No reason for pitchers to throw inside.
No, to be fair, you don’t stick around the majors for as many years as Lemke by not being a plus for your team. Among other things, a major contributor in post seasons and a superior glove at 2B
Agenda? You can’t be serious. Spin rate and max velocity are the new “art” of pitching and arm injuries plague the sport. Hey Johnny, want to get noticed by a scout? Just throw it as hard as you can, sport.
I hope you were being sarcastic with that statement.
Lots of hbp that series. Angels had ridiculous series hitting people. Riley injured. Darnaud injured. Laureano hit in ribs with fastball. Olson hit. Several pitches up towards the head (Harris yesterday for instance). Yes, Angels were hit too. But we are talking Rendon (the worst player on the field possibly) and two others who were hit by breaking balls (a 78 mph Morton curveball on the foot and a Jiminez slider, if I recall). I mean it’s bad enough to perennially embarrass yourselves as an organization but do you have to all but ruin the Braves slim remaining chances also? But yeah, I’m just a bit bummed obviously.
Today’s era of players wear arm and hand protection, and stand closer to the plate than they did 30+ years ago. Add pitchers throwing max effort and you have a recipe for hit by pitches.
Wear the gear, lose the fear.
Two words. Ron Hunt. Two more words. Don Baylor. Two more words. Jim Lonborg. And two more words. Pedro Martinez. Each of these ballplayers turned getting plunked into part of the game of baseball.
But then there’s Tony Conigliaro.
Baylor and Hunt crowded the plate more than any other player during that time. Thank you.
You’re welcome
Baseball gods upset with the Braves for underpaying so many of their players.
/sarcastic shot at the Dodger haters
Revenge for the Braves pulling 2021 out of their asses.
2021 was the baseball gods giving back to ATL what was lost 30 years prior (1991 WS). RIP Kirby.
getrealgone2
Sure, what were the other teams doing? It’s amazing that you actually believe a team can pull a World Series out of their asses, they ‘only’ beat the Brewers, the Dodgers and the Astros, it must have been that those teams had zero luck.
I would’ve waited to Freddie’s MRI to come back before saying something. The Dodgers could be in the same situation as the Braves in a few hours.
This has gotta be the most snake bitten season I’ve ever seen
“Oh no, you’ve got a ways to go yet.”
— Dustin Mays’s torn esophagus
Yea that’s a far more insane injury to a guy who can’t seem to stay healthy. I was speaking to the Braves as a whole this season and the amount of injuries they’ve had to deal with amongst their stars.
Always chew your Doritos, kids.
Jesus. Heal up
See here’s another one….MUTED! sheesh
My dude it’s a fairy tale
The only way that the poorly run, Dysfunctional David Met’s can win is by the Braves getting injured. The most delusional fans in sports are going to celebrate Stearns as a hero meanwhile hes basically done nothing. Mets should have sold every player of value. This deadline is going to set us back 5 to 6 years. Worst organization in sports outside of the Whitesox
Breathe in for a count of 3, hold for a count of 3, exhale for a count of 3. Repeat.
Got it;
1,2,3
1,2,3
1,2,3
Appreciate the medical advice but
my lips keep turning blue because I’m so upset, I can’t count straight. What a bummer
So they’re worse than the A’s?
$$/win? Yes.
The Mets payroll problems are going away. The Braves are just beginning.
The Braves will have less than $200M going into the off-season, and only a few holes in the roster.
Not sure how accurate it is but B-Ref has the Braves at over $220 million for next season including arbitration increases but not including options.
baseball-reference.com/teams/ATL/atlanta-braves-sa…
200m without arbitration eligible players. They have money tied up for years with injury prone players. They have a roster full of wholes. Do you think this season is a mirage. Acuna will have a poor season next year as he did the last time he came back from knee surgery. He will always be a ticking time bomb for a significant knee injury. Albies is always hurt and is regressing. Strider is a two pitch pitcher and will blow out his arm again if pitches the same. Olson is regressing . Murphy isn’t nearly as good as you thought. Kelenic isn’t panning out.The Braves aren’t set up for a five year stretch like you think.
They aren’t as dire as you think either. If most of them regress to their means, they will be better next year. When I said under $200M, I was referring to their CBT amount. They can easily afford to spend in the 270’s, which is where I expect them to be next year.
Save me a Lifeboat seat. The Sky is falling! The sky is falling!
The absurdity of it…a Mets fan always talking crap about the Braves. Just go back 30 years or so and show me how many times the Mets have made the playoffs. How many times have they ever won the division (6 times I think since 69 when the modern divisions were set up…before that finishing last or 2nd to last in entire NL every single season since their creation). The Braves have won 6 since 2018)? How many WS have they won in last 38 years (0)? They are one of the worst organizations to exist in professional sports. Several times I’ve seen fans wearing brown bags on their heads. Every team in the division has won a WS in last 20 years except the Mets. Just spent 300m and couldn’t make playoffs. So come on man. Just give it up. I’m not trying to be rude but you are annoying.
Good let’s talk present day. That’s the conversation. You’re talking about spending 300m and not making the playoffs when the Braves are pretty close to doing it themselves. Don’t talk about anyone being annoying. Do you think only Braves fans are allowed to speak?
That’s all ya, got, @Mets69?? lol. NYM is 2024’s biggest spender and is looking up at ATL’s AAAA-team.
If this isn’t a storyline for a Major League spin-off.
AAAA team? Are you for real? So you are saying AA moves are bad? I thought Sale was the best pitcher in baseball. Murphy was the best catcher in baseball. Olson was the best first baseman in baseball. Harris just came back. The Mets had devastating injuries year. You don’t he use complaining about it. We lost a top five starter all year. A top lefty reliever all year. Alvarez was down for a couple months too. Marte has been down for a couple months. It’s not everyone else’s problem the Braves locked everyone up to long term deals and know they will have to pay the consequences with dealing with them with constant injury problems to those players. It won’t be much better next year or the year after. Most of these players are injury prone.
@Mets69 — “most of these players are injury prone” — who ya talking about? ‘Injury prone’ label is subjective and not a fact, but if you’re calling Acuña that, I’ll take the risks on what he’s being paid with MVP potential. Albies – same thing – he’s had some hard luck, but I think he merits that label, but he’s not being paid much. ‘Injury prone’ label for Olson (who hasn’t missed a game thusfar in last 3 seasons). He’s present-day Iron Man, but sure….’injury prone’. lol. Fact: in 2023, ATL had 3 guys in the top-12 of most games played (1: Olson, 11: Acuña, 12: Riley). But sure, ‘injury prone’. Harris missed some time last year – in his 1st full season – but I’d think that’s expected. I wouldn’t call him ‘injury prone’ already. Murphy has a platoon with inexpensive d’Arnaud — and good luck calling Murphy injury prone with his history. Most of this lineup plays everyday – and we know the results (2023). Obviously, that’s out the door come October, but it’s hilarious that out of all the times I’ve seen comments on how ridiculous some of the Braves contracts are — this is one of the first times I see someone saying they’re bad contracts b/c they’re ‘injury prone’. There’s always a first.
Gio Ursheala! Evan Longoria!
DET should be releasing Urshela today or tomorrow. I think he’s the best available as long as another team claims him just to block him from ATL.
Chipper Revenge Tour starts now. Heck – they have 2 former MVP 3B currently on staff (Pendleton).
That would be awesome. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see him homer off the Mets in ninth to win a couple games.
I didn’t realize TP was still on the staff. What’s his role these days? I stare at my TP and Nixon signed ball everyday on my work desk.
I agree! Good 6 week replacement. Not enough thou! Braves are done for this year! Not too bad for next year!
It’s supposed to be about quick hands in the batters box! Get them out of the way! Geez!
@AL: Like to see you try to get out of the way of an up and in 97 mph FB. You’d end up on a slab in the nearest morgue. “B Damned” indeed……..
B Dead is more like it.
Right? I took 85 to the back of the neck in Men’s league last year. 97 is coming in hot. Literally zero reaction time.
Acuña, Strider, Albies, Murphy, Lopez, Harris, Minter, and now Riley. All extended IL time this season.
And the comments sections on social media blame Snitker and AA for being on borderline of making playoffs bahahahahaha
@braves95. I’m on the CA west coast and my 12 year old son is (for some reason none of understand) a big time Braves fan. He’s a little devastated as his favorite player is Riley (along with Acuna). With this news he said ‘next year they will take vengeance on the league’
Real fans of baseball know the truth. No team can overcome those loses. But I say go for it! Make the playoffs anyway.. Two good SPs can carry a team deep
Injuries. Orioles too. Bradish, Wells, Rodriguez, Means, Westburg, Coulumbe, Mateo, Kremer, Webb. Since late June, 3 games below 500 and no sign of a bounce back. What’s an FO to do?!
Team is cursed.
sucky news for sure. No team has lost more stars this year, could have been a 100-win season. Amazed at how hard they keep playing though.
Come get Arenado. This StL team is tanking BIG TIME!
The trade deadline has long passed.
Because that’s the only way for a player to switch teams? Ever heard of a player being placed on waivers and claimed by another team? Look it up. Do some research. Google is your friend.
Yes because there’s any chance in the world the Cardinals place Arenado on waivers and release him. I don’t think any amount of research is going to help you with how moronic that was.
So you agree, that it could happen. Thanks for proving my point bud.
I keep seeing this, but it has to be a snowball’s chance in hell that, 1) STL would do what’s best for their future and concede Arenado as a salary dump — not too long after a report indicating they’re interested in another contract with Goldy (indicating they’re not totally rebuilding), 2) ATL would commit future payroll (~64M owed inc. 10M to be paid by COL) for a 2024 run, 3) that he would fall to ATL on the waiver wire considering the amount of teams still competing, and future payroll space needed to get him. Post-Deadline, isn’t that the only way of obtaining him, right? STL releasing him?
I don’t see STL basically giving him up for only minor payroll relief. They can afford 64M on future payrolls — and couldn’t get prospects for him considering post-Deadline. Honestly, this would be silly for STL to even attempt to do and possibly a worst-case scenario for ending his tenure with them.
The Cardinals would be well suited to let him go AND not sign Goldschmidt after his contract expires this year, Yes, that removes a lot of veteran leadership from the team, but these guys are cooked. Why continue to overpay them? There are plenty of options at both positions to fill from within the organization and that money could be more well spent on QUALITY starting pitching.
Sure, but based on history and recent rumors (of wanting an extension with Goldy). IMHO, they shouldn’t re-sign/extend Goldy, keep Arenado and his affordable deal (and star power needed to sell tix) and use him to bridge to next group of stars. STL doesn’t have an in-house replacement (no 3B even in their top-30 per MLBPipeline) and the 3B market is grim, not to mention that you’d probably be competing with big spenders (LAD, etc.) who also could use a replacement. Arenado is also ~3 years younger than Goldy. They can afford ~64M and his production is still positive.
fffbbb whining about others “trying to push an agenda” while he rants his Braves hatred ad infinitum ad nauseam. Does he have everybody else muted? He might be one of Smacky’s alternate screen names. In any case, fffbbb and Mickey are peas in a pod. Both are probably charter members of their local chapter of “Morons-R-Us.”
And once more!
MickeyTheMuter lol
“Chris Sale will be the healthiest player on his team in 2024” bar bet would have gotten you unlimited booze.
Braves are snake bit this year. Probably might do them in this year now but they will bounce back next year.
I’m kinda with other Cards fan about Arenado. Cards need a reset . Wonder if Arenado was put on revocable waivers anybody would claim him and take on rest of his contract
Someone would. He still is Good, if not a star!
It was already looking like the playoffs were a long shot. Now, its all but guaranteed, Nothing to do but keep playing as well as possible for those who are having good years (Ozuna and Sale). The rest are taking the year off anyway. Outside help is a must as nothing is on the farm – at least none that has been seen.
Guy is a jerk anyways
@frog: What’s that old saying………”Takes one to know one.” Riley’s one of the most affable and well liked players in MLB. Bet MickeytheMoron and fffbbb like your comment.
You have never waited a table for him, which I did in 2016.
You were probably the jerk.
*And won a title in 21.
Find me a team that can lose roughly the top 1/3 of a starting 25 and still compete.
Better yet, what team, in your esteemed opinion, has “depth?”
Too confrontational. Muted.
If your take is the blame the FO for all the injuries it just tells the rest of us how little you know.
Now I’ll beat you to it, muted
And Another!
Riley is my favorite Brave. This is their most devastating injury of the season.
Not to blame the victim, but Riley was swinging at the pitch and it was nearly a swinging strike. Yes, pitchers need better control, but used to be that batters also had some responsibility to protect themselves. Okay, maybe to blame the victim just a little bit…
P.S. Same goes for Betts.
Riley the captain of that team. My Mets would get beat by only him and every Braves 3b
Enough success to still be rated good!
alex needs to scoop up gio urshela
go braves!
It just never was our year, was it?
Step 1- place Riley on the IL
Step 2- claim Gio Urshela
Step 3- ??????
Step 4- PROFIT!!!
Schwellenbach is a depth piece. He’s doing ok.
Gurriel came up as a 3rd baseman, he’s hitting .300 slugging .498 ops.878
I don’t care about his age at all, he deserves a chance.
There’s no better bat than him at AAA apart from Baldwin, and the Braves need someone that can hit. There was no point of Gurriel being on the club if they’re not even going to give him a chance.
I remember growing up when players would get out of the f***ing way. What happened?
The Braves do have Yuli Gurriel playing at Gwinnett. Has he ever played third base and would he be an option to be called up to cover Riley since he’s got a lot of major league experience?
Sorry McGriff, just saw your comment about Gurriel and totally agree that he needs to be on this roster in some fashion
There shouldn’t be a comma after “now” at the start of that sentence, Adams.