Braves reinstate Austin Riley, Nacho Alvarez back to Gwinnett

Riley has missed the last two weeks with an abdominal strain. It sounded like he probably could have been reinstated earlier in the week, but given the circumstances, there’s absolutely no reason for the Braves to rush any of their key pieces back from injury.

Nacho Alvarez performed decently in Riley’s place. He flashed the leather on several occasions at the hot corner, but the bat remains underwhelming at the major-league level, as he hit just .200 with a .483 OPS over eight games.

There’s certainly a chance we see Alvarez later in the year, possibly splitting time with Ozzie Albies at second base if he continues to struggle. Over the final two months, the Braves need to find out if they have their second baseman for 2026 in the organization, or if it is an area that must be addressed during the offseason.