July has not been a fun month for Atlanta Braves fans, as the team has continued to free fall and all but closed the book on any hope for a playoff spot in 2025. When Austin Riley departed with an injury right before the All-Star Break, it looked like yet another Braves star player was lost to a fluke injury.
Thankfully for the Braves and for Riley, this injury didn't keep him out too long. While the third baseman was eligible to come off the IL during the series against the Giants, the Braves decided to be extra cautious and give him a few more days to rest up. Even with this cushion, Riley only spent 12 days on the IL and missed eight games.
To make room for Riley on the active roster, Atlanta optioned top prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. back to Gwinnett.
The #Braves today reinstated INF Austin Riley from the injured list and optioned INF Nacho Alvarez Jr. to Triple-A Gwinnett.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 25, 2025
What Austin Riley's quick return means for the Braves
While the Braves are all but out of playoff contention, Riley's bat looks to join an offense that finally seemed to click, at least until the final two games in the series against the Giants.
Riley himself has had a relatively disappointing season by his standards, only slashing .274/.324/.441 with a 112 wRC+, which would be his lowest wRC+ since 2020. However, before Riley's IL stint, it looked like he was about to go on his patented July hot streaks. In 42 plate appearances, Riley slashed .317/.333/.585 (153 wRC+) with two homers.
Without Riley, Brian Snitker had experimented with moving Ronald Acuña Jr. out of the leadoff spot and placing disgraced free agent acquisition Jurickson Profar at the top of the lineup instead. While the Braves scored more runs, Acuña only knocked in three batters hitting third despite slashing .240/.387/.640 and Profar had a league average wRC+ in the leadoff spot.
With Riley back, it will be interesting to see if Snitker continues this lineup construction, or if he will revert back to his previous lineup, slotting the 28-year-old back in the three hole.
Nacho Alvarez Jr. , while not impressive offensively, held down the hot corner defensively, and will now look to finish the 2025 season strong after suffering several injuries this year himself.