Despite the fact that the Atlanta Braves had a productive road trip, all eyes were on Austin Riley and whether or not he would be the latest Brave to land on the injured list. Riley was hit by a fastball in his hand/wrist area on Sunday against the Angels and when the initial exams were inconclusive, fans were understandably concerned.
Usually, when a more serious injury in these HBP situations can't be ruled out, the news is not good. However, there was at least a small chance that he avoided a long-term injury despite how bad things looked in the moment.
Sadly, that was not the case as the Braves announced Riley has a fracture in his hand is going to miss at least 6-8 weeks which effectively removes him from the equation for the rest of the regular season. The team also reinstated Reynaldo Lopez from the IL in a widely expected move.
Austin Riley today underwent an MRI that revealed a right hand fracture. He is expected to miss approximately six to eight weeks.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 19, 2024
Additionally, the club today returned RHP Reynaldo López from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and optioned…
Braves News: Austin Riley to miss 6-8 weeks with hand fracture after HBP
This is honestly unbelievable. The Braves had already lost Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. to season-ending injuries, have been without Lopez who had been a revelation for the Braves until today, and are waiting for Ozzie Albies to return from the IL with his broken wrist. Now, Atlanta will once again have to figure out how to cover the loss of another franchise cornerstone-caliber player in Riley.
Nacho Alvarez is the most obvious roster move here as he has experience at third base and is on the 40-man roster, but he struggled in his first look at the big leagues and doesn't have anywhere near the offensive ability or ceiling that Riley has. One hopes that other members of the Braves' lineup can step up the rest of the season, but Atlanta is running out of guys that are even capable of that as banged up as they are.
All of sudden, the Braves find themselves hanging on to the last playoff spot in the NL and down yet another of their best players.