Image credit: ClutchPoints

Braves’ Austin Riley gets pivotal update after injury scare

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Joey Mistretta | Last updated 5/14/24

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley exited Sunday’s game after an injury scare. He felt tightness in his left side and was removed from the contest as a result. Braves manager Brian Snitker shared a positive update on Riley Tuesday, via David O’Brien of The Athletic.

“Austin Riley felt ‘much better’ today and was even having trouble finding the spot that’s sore in his side, Snitker said. Still day-to-day, but sounds like IL definitely not needed, barring any setbacks,” O’Brien wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Riley is not playing on Tuesday. The Braves are proceeding with caution. As O’Brien mentioned, the Braves third baseman is listed as “day-to-day” for now.

Still, Snitker’s update is important. It appears that Riley dodged a bullet.

The Braves trail the Philadelphia Phillies by two games in the National League East as of this story’s writing. Although Riley isn’t having his best year, Atlanta still needs him in the lineup. He features some of the best power from the right-side of the plate in today’s game.

Austin Riley’s 2024 season with Braves

Atlanta Braves third base Austin Riley (27) hits a home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Riley is currently slashing just .245/.319/.388/.707. He’s hit three home runs across 37 games played.

Riley is not performing up to his expectations. It is still early in the season, though, so there is no need to panic. It would not be surprising to see Riley find his rhythm at the plate once he returns from injury.

Riley has finished within the top seven of National League MVP voting in each of the past three years. He has also hit at least 33 home runs in each season during that span. In 2023, he finished seventh in NL MVP voting after hitting 37 home runs and 32 doubles to go along with an .861 OPS.

The Braves will enter Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with a 25-13 record. Atlanta has performed well and they expect to make a World Series run in 2024. They finished with the best record in MLB during the 2023 campaign, but were eliminated early in the postseason. The Braves won the World Series in 2021, however, and they are looking for a similar result in 2024.

Austin Riley will unquestionably play a role in Atlanta’s success moving forward. When healthy, he is one of the best third baseman in the sport.

We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Austin Riley’s injury status as they are made available.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: