Braves' Austin Riley Fractures Right Hand, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks

Injuries continue to make the Atlanta Braves' 2024 season difficult and disappointing. The latest setback is third baseman Austin Riley suffering a fractured right hand that is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks, the team announced Monday.

That timeline could mean Riley misses the remainder of the season. If the Braves make it to the postseason — and they currently hold the National League's third wild-card bid by two games — then he should be available. Yet Riley's absence from Atlanta's lineup could be a major factor in whether the team holds on to that wild-card spot.

Riley, 27, is batting .256 with a .783 OPS this season, with 26 doubles, 19 home runs and 56 RBI. Although that production is down considerably from his past two All-Star seasons, his home run total is still third among Braves hitters behind Marcell Ozuna (36) and Matt Olson (21).

Austin Riley today underwent an MRI that revealed a right hand fracture. He is expected to miss approximately six to eight weeks.Additionally, the club today returned RHP Reynaldo López from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and optioned…

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 19, 2024

The six-year veteran left Sunday's game versus the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning after he was hit on the right wrist by a 97 mph fastball from Jack Kochanowicz. X-rays taken Sunday were inconclusive, according to Braves manager Brian Snitker, but an MRI exam on Monday confirmed the fracture.

Austin Riley has been removed from today's game after getting hit by this pitch. pic.twitter.com/uRoiOKSjuw

— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) August 18, 2024

Riley's injury is the latest amid a terrible set of circumstances for the Braves this season.

In April, staff ace and National League Cy Young Award contender Spencer Strider underwent season-ending elbow surgery. Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. tore the ACL in his left knee while running the bases in late May. Second baseman Ozzie Albies fractured his wrist in late July and projects to be out until late September.

Outfielder Michael Harris II returned to the Braves' lineup last week after being sidelined for two months by a hamstring injury, and pitcher Max Fried recently returned from an IL stint due to nerve inflammation in his forearm. Catcher Sean Murphy missed time earlier this season due to an oblique strain. Jorge Soler (hamstring) and Travis d'Arnaud (wrist) have also missed recent games.

Utility-man Luke Williams is expected to fill in at third base for Riley, but he's batting .118 with a .328 OPS, which might compel Atlanta to look at other options. Whit Merrifield has played third base, but he replaced Albies at second. That might leave Brian Anderson or Alejo Lopez to be called up from Triple-A Gwinnett.

A Crushing Blow

The Atlanta Braves have been dealt yet another crushing blow. The team announced Monday that an MRI on Austin Riley’s right hand revealed a fracture. He is expected to miss approximately six to eight weeks.

Riley suffered the injury when he was hit in the hand by a pitch in the first inning of Sunday’s game against the Angels. The injury is the latest blow to a team that has dealt with multiple to key players since the start of the season. The announcement comes just as the Braves are getting set to begin a three-game series at home against the NL East leading Phillies.

Six weeks would take Riley to the end of the regular season and eight would likely knock him out for the start of the postseason. The Braves currently have a two-game edge over the New York Mets for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

Riley has appeared in 110 games and was hitting .256/.322/.461 with 19 home runs and a 116 wRC+. The Braves haven’t officially placed Riley on the injured list yet and did not announce a corresponding move. That will come before Tuesday’s game against the Phillies.

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again. Log in

Subscribe Now

Current Edition: International

Top News

Podcasts

NFL

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

NFL Draft

'Scoop City' Newsletter

Podcasts

Fantasy

NFL Odds

NFL Picks

Preseason News

MLB

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Podcasts

The Windup Newsletter

Fantasy

MLB Prospects

MLB Odds

MLB Picks

NBA

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

NBA Draft

The Bounce Newsletter

Podcasts

Fantasy

NBA Odds

NBA Picks

Offseason Rankings

NCAAF

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Podcasts

Until Saturday Newsletter

Recruiting

Odds

Picks

CFP Prospectus

Ranking all 134 FBS teams

Freaks List 2024

All-America teams

NHL

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Playoff Bracket

Podcasts

Fantasy

NHL Odds

NHL Picks

WNBA

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Podcasts

Fantasy Football

Home

Betting

NFL Home

Podcasts

Draft Kit

Dynasty Rankings

Tennis

Home

Golf

Home

Memorabilia & Collectibles

NCAAM

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Podcasts

Transfer Portal Rankings

NCAAW

Home

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Podcasts

Premier League

Home

Transfer News

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

The Athletic FC Newsletter

Podcasts

Fantasy

Leicester vs. Tottenham

The Briefing: Weekend's Biggest Talking Points

Liverpool’s Recruitment Secrets

Ranking Ronaldo’s Tantrums

Toney’s Potential Saudi Arabia Move

Olympics

Home

MLS

Home

Teams

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Podcasts

NWSL

Home

Scores & Schedule

Standings

Full Time newsletter

Podcasts

Soccer

Formula 1

Home

Prime Tire newsletter

Schedule

Standings

Red Bull

Ferrari

Mercedes

McLaren

Aston Martin

Haas

Alpine

Williams

Kick Sauber

College Sports

Opinion

Home

Sports Business

Home

Fantasy Baseball

Home

MLB Home

Podcasts

Culture

Home

Motorsports

Home

Podcasts

NASCAR

Betting

Home

Odds

Fantasy Baseball

NBA Picks

NHL Picks

MMA

Home

Women's Hockey

Home

Boxing

Home

The Pulse newsletter

Cities

Ink

Preseason News

Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles

Leicester vs. Tottenham

MLB

ALANTA — One day after third baseman Austin Riley was hit in the right hand by a 97-mph fastball, the Braves got the news that they feared: Fractured bone. He’s expected to miss six to eight weeks.

When it rains, it’s a torrential downpour for the Braves, who have sustained one devastating injury after another literally since Opening Day, when All-Star catcher Sean Murphy strained an oblique that sidelined him two months.

They’ve managed to remain in postseason contention — they currently are third in the NL wild-card standings — despite all the injuries including season-ending surgeries for preseason Cy Young Award favorite Spencer Strider after just two starts and reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. in late May.

GO DEEPER

Braves' Spencer Strider candidly discusses his elbow surgery and pitching injury 'epidemic'

But losing Riley, with no replacement even remotely capable of either slugging or playing defense like he does and no ability to trade for one with the trade deadline passed, could prove too difficult for the Braves to overcome, at least in terms of the NL East race.

Utiliy player Luke Williams took over at third base Sunday after Riley exited in the first inning, and he could get a shot at filling in, along with veteran utilitymen Brian Anderson and Alejo López, who’s hit .308 with a .394 OBP at Triple-A Gwinnett but lacks power. Top shortstop prospect Nacho Alvarez has played some third base at Gwinnett and for one game during his July call-up to the majors, but Alvarez, currently sidelined by pneumonia, looked overmatched at the plate and was optioned back to Triple A after going 3-for-30 with 10 strikeouts and no walks in eight games for Atlanta

The Braves’ run of six consecutive NL East titles has never appeared more perilous than now, with the loss of Riley just as Atlanta is about to play the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies seven times in the next 13 days beginning with a three-game home series that starts Tuesday.

The Phillies lead the Braves by seven games despite Philadelphia’s own extended slump. The Braves are 3 ½ games behind San Diego and 2 ½ behind Arizona, with the New York Mets just two games behind Atlanta.

X-rays and other tests done on Riley’s hand in the hours after he was injured Sunday at Anaheim were inconclusive, but the Braves sent him to their specialist Monday in Atlanta, and an MRI revealed the fracture. Riley will not need surgery, barring any unexpected developments.

Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz hit Riley, one day after Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud was hit just above the wrist by Angels reliever José Cisnero. X-rays were negative for d’Arnaud, but he was still sore and unavailable Sunday.

The Braves were off Monday, and they won’t know until Tuesday whether d’Arnaud will be available.

After finishing a 6-4 trip with series wins at San Francisco and Anaheim, capped by Sunday’s 3-1 win against the Angeles, the Braves boarded their team plane holding out hope that Riley’s injury would be something less than a fracture. But in this season, almost every injury to a Braves player has turned out to be the worst-case-scenario.

Riley is third on the team in homers with 19, behind Marcell Ozuna (36) and Matt Olson (19). No other Brave has more than 13.

Riley also is third among Braves in RBIs with 56, behind NL leader Ozuna (93) and Olson (63). Ozzie Albies is fourth at 46 despite being on the IL for the past four weeks and having missed more than 30 games this season with injuries. It’s been that kind of season. Slumps and injuries galore.

The inventory of Braves injuries is lengthy, beginning with losing Murphy and Strider in the first two weeks of the season. They lost leadoff hitter extraordinaire Acuña, and later lost their replacement leadoff hitter, center fielder Michael Harris II, who just returned from the 60-day IL last week after missing two months with a hamstring strain.

Reliever A.J. Minter is having hip surgery this week, and All-Star starting pitchers Reynaldo López and Max Fried have each spent time on the IL for forearm injuries, with López set to return Tuesday to start the series opener against the Phillies.

In a strange coincidence, the injuries to Acuña, Albies, López and Riley (both times) occurred during Sunday series finales, and Acuña and Riley (both times) were injured in the top of the first inning of road games

(Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

David O'Brien is a senior writer covering the Atlanta Braves for The Athletic. He previously covered the Braves for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and covered the Marlins for eight seasons, including the 1997 World Series championship. He is a two-time winner of the NSMA Georgia Sportswriter of the Year award. Follow David on Twitter @DOBrienATL