The Atlanta Braves have gotten a mixed bag of injury updates as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 MLB season. While Ronald Acuna Jr. recently revealed that he is fully healthy heading into spring training, the team did get an unfortunate update on starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach, who will miss the opening chunk of the season due to injury.
One of the many Braves who struggled with both injuries and overall regression last year was third baseman Austin Riley, who recently made a brutally honest admission as the new campaign approaches.
“I’m not getting any younger,” said Riley, per Reggie Chatman Jr. of 11 Alive on X, formerly Twitter.
Riley is 28 years old, which may not seem like much, but considering his injury history and the baseball mileage that his body has endured, the clock could be ticking on the prime years of his career sooner rather than later.
Chatman also reported that Riley “says he feels really good after using the offseason to get healthy. Focused on flexibility and mobility.”
Riley has dealt with numerous injury concerns during his Braves tenure, and also struggled with an overall drop in production even when he was on the field last season.
In 2025, the Braves missed out on the playoffs for the first time in eight years, and also didn't win the division crown for the second straight season after a long streak of NL East titles.
Having the former NL MVP, Ronald Acuna Jr., healthy going into this season will certainly help matters, and the team is hoping to see some good things out of new manager Walt Weiss, who was promoted from within the organization after Brian Snitker left the role to take a job in the front office.
In any case, the Braves' 2026 season is slated to get underway in late March.
