The nightmare season for Atlanta Braves fans continues to be unrelenting. Not only are they fourth in the NL East behind the lowly Miami Marlins, but a combination of mounting injuries and regressions have prevented them from maintaining a semblance of momentum.
On Saturday, they lost another key piece as fans' fears about Austin Riley's injury were confirmed. He was placed on the 10-day IL with a strained right abdoment. In a corresponding move, the team promoted Nacho Alvarez to the bigs. They also sent pitcher Nathan Wiles down to Triple-A and welcomed back former first-round pick Joey Wentz.
Riley was removed from Friday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals and there was nothing but worry among the fanbase. Riley's had his fair share of struggles this year, as his strikeout rate has ballooned to 27.7% and his defense has been a concern (his 11 errors are among the worst in the league), but he's been a net positive. He's also been durable, playing in all of the team's 93 games.
Now, there's no telling how much time he will miss. Abdominal strains can vary drastically with recovery rates. At the very least, however, the team will get an extended look at Alvarez, who is one of the organization's top prospects and a potential everyday contributor at the big league level.
The #Braves today reported LHP Joey Wentz to Atlanta. The club also recalled INF Nacho Alvarez Jr. to Atlanta, placed INF Austin Riley on the 10-day injured list with a strained right abdomen, and optioned RHP Nathan Wiles to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 12, 2025
Braves News: Austin Riley hits injured list and Nacho Alvarez is recalled
The Braves have only won three series dating back to May 20, and though many have already thrown in the towel on this season, Riley's absence is just another morale blow to a team that's already missing Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenback and AJ Smith-Shawver ... not to mention Jurickson Profar's 80-game suspension that just recently ended as well as the drastic underperformances of Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II.
In the case of Riley, too, there's perhaps an uncomfortable discussion to be had. This could mark his second straight season in which his numbers have seen a dip and he's dealt with long-term injuries. From 2021-2023, Riley registered at least 6.0 WAR per season, belted 108 home runs, and received MVP votes. Last year, he missed 52 games due to a fractured right hand and hit just .256 with a .786 OPS. This year, while he was hitting .274, his power numbers took another hit and his walk rate (6.1%) would be a career low if he didn't log another game.
It could very well just be one of those bad luck stretches, but when you're under contract for over $200 million, you know how fans can get. In the meantime, Braves country is hoping for a speedy recovery for Riley.