Braves Put Riley Back on IL, Call Up Two Infielders and Option Outfielder

The Atlanta Braves will be without third baseman Austin Riley for a time yet again. The team announced this morning that he is back on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower abdominal muscle. 

In corresponding moves, they called up infielders Nacho Alvarez junior and Jonathan Ornelas and optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A. 

Manager Brian Snitker said after Sunday's game that it could take a day or two to make a decision on Riley. It took less than 24 hours.

Riley sustained the injury on a diving play during the MLB Speedway Classic game against the Reds on Sunday. It’s the second time within the last month that he has gone down with a similar injury. Right before the All-Star Break, he went on the injured list with a strained right abdomen.  

That injury came on a play in the field, too, as he tried to play a slow roller. 

While he’ll be out for a minimum of 10 days, his exact timeline isn’t guaranteed to be that long. That’s just when he’s eligible to return. Last time, he was out for about two weeks. The Braves might feel the need to be extra patient with him this time because he’s already gotten hurt again. 

We’ll get a better idea as he recovers. Snitker said during Riley’s last stint on the injured list that it came down to how he felt during reps and then how he feels when he gets up in the morning. It’ll likely be that way again. 

In 101 games played, Riley is batting .260 with a .737 OPS, 16 home runs and 54 RBIs. It’s been an up-and-down season for him, even when he has been healthy. Fortunately, this is an injury he has a chance to come back from. Last season, just about a year to the date, he suffered what proved to be a season-ending injury when he was hit by a pitch on the hand. 

Alvarez coming back up was the logical decision for the Braves. He’s who came up last time when Riley got hurt. He played in eight games for the Braves, batting .200 with a .483 OPS and a handful of multi-hit games. He looked better compared to his first stint in the majors last season and could benefit from more reps at this level. 

Ornelas was initially the appointed additional player for the MLB Speedway Classic before being swapped out for Hurston Waldrep following the game being suspended by weather. Both were sent back to Triple-A after the game.

Kelenic was called back up shortly after Ronald Acuña Jr. went back on the injured list. He appeared in one game during the Royals series and didn’t have an at-bat. 

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