We tire of writing the same news, but sadly the injury bug has been a season long virus for the Atlanta Braves. You guessed it, another star player had an injury scare yesterday and it has Braves fans holding their collective breath until an update is provided.
In case you missed it, third baseman Austin Riley was hit in the wrist with a 97 mph fastball in yesterday's series finale against the Angels. Although the Braves held on to win the game, the mood was somber as the team was in fear of losing another key player.
Riley X-rays inconclusive, scheduled for further evaluation
The Braves third baseman received X-rays and a CT scan yesterday, but the results came back inconclusive. This was likely due to the amount of swelling on the hand/wrist. Atlanta will know more about the severity of Riley's injury once their doctors take a look at him.
Austin Riley had X-rays and a CT scan. They were inconclusive. He’ll get an MRI when the Braves return home. Brian Snitker said the Braves want to get Riley in front of their doctors for further evaluation.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 18, 2024
Astonishingly since Atlanta got back centerfielder Michael Harris II on Wednesday, they've seen THREE players exit the game with injuries. First it was Jorge Soler with a mild hamstring strain, then Travis d'Arnaud had to exit the game after a hit-by-pitch. Braves country can only hope that Riley's injury update is as positive as the two that proceeded his.
Reynaldo Lopez slated to return Tuesday
Thankfully, the injury news isn't all sour for the Braves. Their rotation is set to get a big boost with the return of Reynaldo Lopez on Tuesday. Lopez made just one rehab start for Gwinnett, going four innings and allowing three runs. The most positive sign being Lopez touched 97 mph with his fastball.
The Braves will hope for the Lopez that has pitched to a 7-4 record and 2.06 ERA on the season as they start a pivotal series against their NL East rival the Philadelphia Phillies.
Umpire goes viral for Seinfeld shirt
The last bit of news to get to is actually a good laugh for baseball fans. Umpire James Hoye went viral the other night for the shirt he was spotted wearing under his umpire uniform. It was none other than a Cosmo Kramer shirt, the hit character from the 90's sitcom Seinfeld.
"That's Kramer on his shirt. Look at that. A picture of Kramer on his shirt."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 18, 2024
"Yes he does. Cosmo Kramer."
"That's unbelievable. What a sequence we just saw."
Wayne Randazzo and Mark Gubicza spot James Hoye wearing the world's greatest undershirt. pic.twitter.com/n0V2nT1pA7
Hoye had his Kramer shirt spotted by the Angels broadcast when he made the replay announcement of Whit Merrifield's home run. It's not the first time Seinfeld has seeped into baseball circles this year, as the Yankees famously held a George Costanza bobblehead night last month.
It's not often we get to talk about the umpires in such a positive light, so this was a refreshing moment during a big Braves win the other night.