The Braves have placed third baseman Austin Riley on the 10-day injured list due to an abdominal strain, per a team announcement. Atlanta also optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Gwinnett. In place of Riley and Kelenic, infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas were recalled from Gwinnett.
Riley, 28, missed about two weeks with an abdominal strain last month as well. He was only reinstated from the injured list on July 25. It’ll go down as a fleeting return — and one in which Riley didn’t really look right. He belted two homers between his IL stints, granted, but those were two of just four hits in a total of 39 plate appearances. Riley hit .108/.154/.297 and punched out 15 times (38.5%) before returning to the injured list.
It’s been a down year overall for Riley. His .260/.309/.428 batting line (104 wRC+) is solid enough but is also his least-productive run since a midseason debut in 2019 and the shortened 2020 season. Riley’s walk and strikeout rates are both the worst of his career in a full 162-game season (6% and 28.6%, respectively), and this year’s .168 ISO (slugging minus batting average) is his worst in any season at the major league level.
The team didn’t provide a timetable for Riley’s potential return. It’s common in situations like this, where a player heads back to the IL for the same injury after a brief return, for the second stint to be longer and a bit more cautious. Each injury is a situation unto itself, however. Manager Brian Snitker will presumably have more information the next time he meets with the media.
Kelenic, 26, only appeared in one game during this stint with the Braves and didn’t log a plate appearance. He was used as a pinch-runner. Atlanta optioned the struggling former top prospect to Gwinnett in mid-April after he opened the season with a bleak .167/.231/.300 batting line in his first 65 plate appearances. Things haven’t gone much better in Triple-A, where he’s taken 308 plate appearances and delivered just a .218/.289/.321 slash with a 27.3% strikeout rate. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for a second time this winter and, at this point, stands as a clear non-tender candidate.
Alvarez has spent most of the season nursing a wrist injury. He’s struggled in 32 big league plate appearances but been an on-base machine in a small sample of 84 trips to the plate in Gwinnett (.242/.405/.333). He’s still looking to break through with a full-time role in Atlanta after ranking among the system’s more promising minor leaguers for several years now.
Ornelas will be making his Braves debut the first time he takes the field. Atlanta picked him up in a cash swap with the Rangers back in May after Texas had designated the 25-year-old for assignment. He’s a righty-swinging infielder with experience at second, third and shortstop. Ornelas has batted only .184/.245/.224 in a tiny sample of 54 MLB plate appearances across three seasons with the Rangers. He’s a good runner with a solid glove who’s light on power. In 319 turns at the plate between the Triple-A clubs for Texas and Atlanta this season, he’s turned in a tepid .202/.320/.300 batting line.
Braves should have sold at the deadline. They didn’t need a total rebuild but guys like Iglesias, Ozuna, Kelenic, Peirce Johnson, Dylan Lee, Bummer, Sale, and Albies should have been traded away. They could have completly transformed one of the worst farm systems in baseball
AA gets an F
How about FF
No chance those guys are “transforming” a farm system. Nobody is trading for Kelenic…Ozuna and Iglesias were shopped. Makes no sense to trade the rest of them you list. The Braves plan to compete next year so if you trade Johnson, Lee, Bummer, Sale and Ozzie you then have to turn around and replace them in the offseason for more $ then those guys are signed for, or you have to trade prospects to replace them. Makes no sense unless AA is blown away with an offer and that ain’t happening for those players. Also funny how bad the Braves system is ranked every year but somehow they promote 1-2 ROY candidates every year.
The Braves aren’t competing next year.
System ranking is based on the total system, not one or two just above average players. Baldwin is a good player but wouldn’t be even in consideration in most years, but the crop is so weak this year he will win by default. AA has done a very poor job drafting and developing and now froze at the deadline as it appears he has checked out. This team won’t be back in playoffs until 2029.
With a return to health, and good luck generally, they could compete next year. But that’s relying a lot on good mojo. So you could be right.
All fair points
No one wanted Ozuna nor Iglesias
No, no one wanted Ozuna/Iglesias at their asking prices. Look at what RPs were going for (Duran alone), so if they asking price wasn’t anywhere near that, you’d think that a loser in the Duran/Jax sweepstakes could get an upgrade without losing significant prospects, while ATL could benefit from adding to a shallow farm system. Beggers can’t be choosers applies here.
@LFGMets — I don’t disagree with you on the sentiment, but Sale/Albies no. Albies is affordable and considering his potential (and lack of internal replacements), you don’t give that away. Sale is injured…and under contract in 2026. Considering what he looks like when healthy (and his injury isn’t an arm injury…), you don’t trade that away. It would cost a lot more to replace his perceived value in 2026 and put more pressure on a rotation that is already thin. Iglesias/Ozuna/Pierce Johnson should have been traded for anything – even including some money to cover their 2025 contracts for better prospects to help fatten the farm. There’s no excuse on those. AA said he wasn’t about to ‘dump anyone’, but you’re kidding yourself if you think the farm couldn’t use any of the prospects that were being offered for expiring deals – especially ones (Ozuna) without guaranteed AB (due to Murph/Drake C/DH share).
@RunDMC Personally, with Sale going into I believe his age 38 season next year, its only a matter of time before he hits a sharp decline. I would sell high on him now, especially since I don’t think that this team is particularly close in contending next year
@LFGMets — you’re not selling high on him when he’s on the 60-day IL. Going into his age 38 season and him pitching like he has is exactly why you hold onto him. ATL lives for high-AAV/risky arms that they can find value in not having to pay someone an extra 3-4 years because that’s what the market will allow them. Sale will only make 18M next year (2026), which is the same they signed a 35 y/o Cole Hamels to for the 2020 season, as a frame of reference.
Not particularly close….? This is the same team that were one of the favorites to be in the WS to begin the season. PHI is only getting older. NYM hasn’t done anything yet. ATL got hit by the injury bug and it’ll be nice to see what another manager can do with this talent.
@RunDMC the Braves were not even close to being the favorites to win the World Series. Their starting pitching was a big questionmark, especially after they lost Fried in free agency. No shortstop, Acuna out the first 2 months, Strider coming off of TJ, and the bullpen got worse from the prior year. Its not a shock that they aren’t making the playoffs. What is a shock is that their team has lost more games then the Marlins
@LFGMets — I’m just going by memory – and I could be wrong, but I thought I remember they were top-2 in the NL to go to the WS (not win).
You’re right Run. Vegas had them w/the 2nd best WS odds (NL) in ST.
If all AA was getting for Ozuna and Iglesias were prospects or lottery tickets, ownership might have stepped in. The team on the field this year would have been even less competitive. A stupid reason not to make deals, but it’s a reason, I guess.
Because teams should stop being mean and just give the Braves their good players for trash?
It’s baffling they are still employing Ozuna and some of those bullpen arms. Easily could have worked out some trades.
Nick Allen and Eli white getting consistent time is the real joke.
Braves could have “completely transformed” their farm system? Put down the pipe dude
@bigal: LFG Mets, Mets Era, and Never Remember (the Cardinal fan formerly known as blackpink) are three of the more prominent “my opinions are facts” homers on the site. All three spend a lot of time trolling Braves articles spewing biased misinformation about Atlanta.
Who has had more injury disasters this yr, braves or O’s? They r having contest , who can have more players on IR this yr?
Dodgers
Te Mets lead the Majors in injured players.
AA just wanted to match the trade deadline with the Braves season overall. Well done!!!
This injury could possibly put our World Series hopes in danger.
Where is Eddie Rosario when you need him?
Oh wait, we had him this year already. And we had him last year too.
But he’s still out there AGAIN, AA.
Adam Duvall is checking his notifications register.
Good! Hope to see him in 2026!!
It’s Nacho time!
This contract has been a complete disaster and will go down as an epic albatross for ATL. If they can find a team dumb enough to take Riley off their hands in the offseason they would be dumb not to trade him.
@Lou Sassoll the Mets would take him for free
At least throw in a couple of Alonso’s bats. Preferably signed.
What the hell happened to Kelenic? He was rated as a star-to-be in the minors, he came up and struggled a bit, and now he’s progressed to being down-right poor. Does he need glasses or something?
It’s between his ears now. He presses all the time (to meet expectations?). He may need a shrink to get him in a good place. And maybe he’s tried that.
Yet another Quad A player. Billy Beane Redux. Immense talent, defeated by intensity.
I just got a LinkedIn message about playing Infield for Atlanta. I’m 5’8′ 230 and haven’t thrown anything since Church Softball a few weeks ago. How are the benefits and do they have the coaching to make a left-handed 3B happen?
They watched your sweeeeet tryout tape for the Savannah Bananas
I hope they saw the one where a possum got me to ground out to 2B. That one at least has me running down a pop-up
You’re a big league catcher waiting to happen.
~A Kirk
The off-season should see Ozuna and Iglesias gone. I wouldn’t even negotiate.
The Braves are in need of a good hitting SS. Allen is fine for late innings defense but is not an everyday player.
I would also try to move Profar. But that might prove difficult.
Sale, Lopez, Strider, Swellenbach and one of the young pitchers in AAA should be a good rotation. It’s past time to release Elder and Fedde should be released.
The bullpen needs serious reconstruction.
One thing I do know, AA can’t be passive this off-season. If he is and gets very little done, he should be shown the door.
This mythical good hitting shortstop resides where?
Ozuna and iglesias should have been given away last week.
Via trade or FA
I’m not releasing Elder. Making Baldwin his personal catcher.