Under the vast majority of circumstances, Atlanta Braves fans would be thrilled with a 6-4 road trip out west. The Rockies series was incredibly frustrating to be sure, but the Braves have not played well historically when traveling to the western divisions and taking three out of four against a desperate Giants team followed by a series win over the Angels is a result that everyone should take 10 times out of 10.
However, the road trip proved to have some real repercussions for Atlanta that were less than good. Not only is Jorge Soler dealing with a minor hamstring injury that has kept him out of the lineup the last few days and Travis d'Arnaud banged up, but now there is a real chance that Austin Riley is going to require a stint on the IL.
An Austin Riley injury could be the straw that break's the 2024 Braves' backs
When Austin Riley got hit in the hand/wrist by a 97 MPH fastball against the Angels on Sunday, Braves fans everywhere almost universally assumed the worst. Riley is not a guy that comes out of games lightly and when he was replaced after running the bases after the HBP, everyone braced for more bad news during a season where the Braves have had more than their fair share of it.
The post-game update from manager Brian Snitker was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it wasn't immediate terrible news which was nice. However, he also said that Riley's scans were inconclusive and importantly didn't say that he had avoided serious injury. Instead, we have to wait until Riley gets back to Atlanta for more tests.
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
The most likely explanation for Riley's inconclusive test results is because there is so much swelling in the the area that it is hard to see much of anything. Riley wouldn't be undergoing more tests in Atlanta if his hand was feeling good or if the Braves didn't think there was a real chance that he had suffered structural damage. Riley would be beating the odds considerably if he avoided a stint on the injured list (if only a short one) at this point even if there isn't a fracture.
If the Braves lose Riley for a prolonged period of time, it might be the injury that the Braves can't bounce back from. Nacho Alvarez has experience playing third base and is a pretty easy choice to come up given Atlanta's 40-man roster options, but they simply don't have another bat that even approaches Riley's upside. Right as the Braves were starting to play like themselves again and Riley had posted an .846 OPS since the beginning of July, Atlanta could lose one of their best players yet again.
In a lot of ways, 2024 just hasn't felt particularly fair. Sure, there are guys on the Braves roster that have underperformed, but the biggest reason for their troubles this season have been completely out of their control as injuries have piled upon them. Losing just one guy of the caliber of Spencer Strider or Ronald Acuna Jr. would be damning for most teams, but the Braves have hung around despite losing both of them AND more. Unless the Braves get good news this week, they may have to find a way to do it again.