Atlanta Braves Reinstate Austin Riley among Flurry of Moves

Riley exited Monday’s game in the ninth inning after learning the birth of his second child was imminent. 

He was able to sit out a maximum of three games, but thanks to rain, he only had to miss two before rejoining his teammates in Queens. 

Through 86 games this season, Riley has batted .255 with a .776 OP, 13 home runs and 40 RBIs. However, recently he’s looked much better at the plate than his season numbers indicate. Since June 1, he’s batting .283 with a .909 OPS, 10 home runs and 22 RBIs. Much closer to what we’ve gotten accustomed to over the last couple seasons. 

Short departs from Atlanta after a very lackluster tenure. In 29 games he batted .137 and primarily served in a backup role. At this point, the Braves appear to be committed to giving infield prospect Nacho Alvarez a chance to contribute long-term at the big-league level. 

The offensive upside is greater than Short’s and Orlando Arcia is a strong defensive option at shortstop. The space on the roster simply ran out. 

Meanwhile, Hernández gets another chance at the big league level. He’s actually been a nice arm to have in the bullpen when in the Majors. In nine appearances, he’s yet to give up a run and he doesn't give up a lot of baserunners - his WHIP is 0.931. 

He’s mainly been the victim of having the minor league options during roster shuffles. With the latest struggles by the Braves pitching staff, an arm with a scoreless track record will be welcomed. 

The Braves start their crucial road series with the New York Mets on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The Mets are one of the hottest teams in baseball. They're 7-3 in their last 10 games and are coming off a three-game sweep of the Yankees in the Subway Series.