Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker announced that star third baseman Austin Riley will not be back this season. Even if the Braves make the postseason, a CT scan revealed that his broken hand won’t even heal fast enough to be available for the postseason.
Austin Riley was struck by a fastball on August 18, which resulted in the injury. The next day, the club revealed the fracture and that his timeline to return would be roughly six to eight weeks. At that point, the regular season was down to approximately six weeks, but if the team continued to play well into October, there was still a chance Riley would be able to return for the postseason.
Unfortunately it’s now confirmed that no matter what Austin Riley’s 2024 season is over. The Braves season has been filled with injuries. Star players such as Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider, and more have all been injured this season.
Austin Riley was having yet another good season at the major league level. Each year he’s getting better. In 110 games this year, Riley slashed .256/.322/.461, 19 HR, 56 RBI, and a .783 OPS.
The Braves still have a really solid chance to make the playoffs. Now they will be without one of their many key players. Riley is a leader in the Braves clubhouse and losing him is a huge hit to their lineup.
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