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The Atlanta Braves will be without their third baseman, Austin Riley, for the rest of the season, even if Atlanta qualifies for the postseason because of his broken hand. Braves manager Brian Snitker said the CT scan on Riley's hand showed there wasn't enough healing to remove the cast. There also isn't enough time for it to heal and get ready even after the cast is removed, according to reporting from Braves beat writer David O'Brien from The Athletic.
In mid-August, Riley was hit by a Los Angeles Angels RHP Jack Kochanowicz pitch. A later MRI would confirm he fractured his hand. Riley missed about 50 games this year. The two-time All-Star missed time earlier in the season because of intercostal inflammation along his ribs/abdomen.
Playoffs still in reach for Braves with or without Austin Riley
Atlanta is just 1.5 games back in the Wild Card standings. With six games left, including three left to play against the New York Mets, the Braves still control their own destiny.
Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach takes the mound tonight against Luis Severino and the Mets. Schwellenbach played well since the All-Star break, posting a 3.05 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 65.0 innings pitched. The 24-year-old won his last start, a six-inning gem where he allowed five hits, one run, two walks and struck out five.
Snitker thought about starting Chris Sale but opted to stick with Schwellenbach, according to O'Brien.
“Originally we thought about that (starting Sale),” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “But it’s like, Schwellenbach’s throwing the ball really good, and they’re both going to pitch. So, yeah, that’s just what we came up with. I mean, the only thing we’re focused on right now is Tuesday.”
It's still been a wild season for the Braves with a lot of “what-ifs“, as Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter highlighted.
“Not many teams can stand losing their best offensive player and best pitcher and still contend for a postseason spot, so the fact that the Atlanta Braves are still in the thick of the wild-card race is a testament to the overall talent on their roster. Spencer Strider made his first career Opening Day start this year, but he would make just one more start before he was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery,” wrote Reuter. “That came a year after he went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 281 strikeouts in 186.2 innings to finish fourth in NL Cy Young voting.
“Meanwhile, Ronald Acuña Jr. took the field for just 49 games before he suffered the second torn ACL of his career on May 26, and the Braves have struggled to find a consistently productive replacement for him in the outfield all year. It was a disappointing encore to his 2023 NL MVP performance when he became baseball's first 40/70 player and hit .337/.416/.596 for a 171 OPS+ with 217 hits, 35 doubles, 41 home runs, 106 RBI, 149 runs scored and 73 steals.
“After logging a combined 11.3 WAR in 2023, they were worth minus-0.1 WAR total this season before they were lost to the injured list.”
Despite overcoming all that adversity, a “good enough” season will not satisfy the Braves or their massive fan base.
