More devastating injury news for the Atlanta Braves. It was announced by the club on Monday that third baseman Austin Riley will miss six to eight weeks after suffering a right hand fracture vs the Angels on Sunday. Riley was hit by a pitch, attempted to stay in the game, but was ultimately removed. The club did announce the return of starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez in the same online memo.
Riley was getting back on track over the last several weeks, overcoming a sluggish start to the 2024 season along with fellow infielder Matt Olson. He has clubbed 19 home runs with 56 RBI in 110 games played this season. His glove, however, will be equally missed as hit bat in the lineup.
The team does not have an obvious replacement for Riley on a day-to-day basis. They could call back up INF Nacho Alvarez for a second chance after he failed to produce in limited action. Orlando Arcia could move to third in that scenario or perhaps Utility man Luke Williams could see some action as well.