Preliminary x-rays and a CT scan on Austin Riley’s proper wrist and hand have been “inconclusive” after the third baseman was hit by a Jack Kochanowicz pitch in Sunday’s sport with the Angels, Braves supervisor Brian Snitker informed reporters (together with Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Structure). Riley will endure an MRI on Monday throughout the Braves’ off-day, as Snitker mentioned the staff’s personal medical employees desires to totally discover Riley’s standing.
It may very well be seen as an ominous signal that the primary set of checks didn’t definitively say whether or not or not Riley had suffered a break or a fracture, however it additionally stands to cause that the membership would wish to be as cautious as attainable with one in every of its star gamers. Since we’re in the course of August, a extra severe sort of harm might finish Riley’s season solely, together with each the common season and no matter postseason run the Braves would possibly but take pleasure in.
Simply attending to the playoffs has been much more troublesome than anticipated for Atlanta, as accidents and an unexpectedly common offense have contributed to a number of inconsistency. The Braves are nonetheless 66-58 and in possession of the ultimate NL wild-card slot, however they maintain solely a two-game lead over the Mets for that wild-card berth, and the Phillies stay seven video games forward of Atlanta within the NL East race. After bursting out of the gates to an 18-6 report of their first 24 video games, the Braves have since posted a sub-.500 report (48-52) whereas weathering season-ending accidents to such stars as Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider. The remainder of Ozzie Albies’ 2024 marketing campaign is additionally in jeopardy resulting from a fractured wrist, and each Jorge Soler and Travis d’Arnaud have been out of the lineup in latest days.
Riley additionally missed shut to 2 weeks earlier this season resulting from an intercostal pressure, although the Braves made the curious determination to not truly place him on the 10-day IL throughout that stretch, leaving the staff short-handed for an prolonged time frame. The harm contributed to a really gradual begin to the season for Riley, however his bat has come to life because the season has gone on, with 16 dwelling runs and .275/.337/.531 slash line over his final 285 plate appearances.
There’s no simple method for the Braves to interchange such All-Star ranges of manufacturing if Riley is going through a prolonged IL stint, and it’ll be even trickier to fill Riley’s spot at third base now that the commerce deadline has handed. Luke Williams took over on the sizzling nook on Sunday, and such veterans as Leury Garcia and Zack Quick are at Triple-A as extra depth.
As unsure as Riley’s scenario could also be, some harm aid is on the horizon for the rotation, as Reynaldo Lopez was introduced because the starter for Atlanta’s sport on Tuesday when the Braves begin an necessary collection in opposition to the Phillies. Lopez will return after lacking simply barely past the 15-day minimal after he was positioned on the IL resulting from forearm irritation on August 2.
Lopez’s begin on July 28 was minimize brief by his harm, however checks revealed no structural injury. Whereas even much less severe kinds of forearm issues can linger, Lopez seems like he has been capable of get well in fairly brief order, and he obtained as much as 71 pitches in a Triple-A rehab outing final Tuesday.
Signed to a three-year, $30M free agent deal final winter, Lopez has excelled in his return to beginning pitching. Although he has labored virtually completely as a reliever throughout the 2022-23 seasons with the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians, Lopez has posted a 2.06 ERA over 104 2/3 innings for Atlanta this season. Between Lopez, Cy Younger Award candidate Chris Sale, and stable performances from Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, the Braves have restricted the injury after Strider was misplaced for the 12 months.
