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The Braves announced Monday that Austin Riley has been diagnosed with a fractured right hand that will sideline him for six to eight weeks.
With just under six weeks remaining on the regular-season schedule, it could very well prove to be a season-ending injury for the two-time All-Star. Riley was hit by a pitch in Sunday’s game, and while initial imaging was inconclusive, an MRI performed Monday revealed the fracture. Atlanta will presumably make a corresponding roster move to place Riley on the injured list and bring up another infielder (e.g. Nacho Alvarez Jr.).
Atlanta also announced that right-hander Reynaldo Lopez has been reinstated from the injured list, with right-hander Jimmy Herget being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in his place. He’s been out since Aug. 2 due to inflammation in his right forearm.
The loss of Riley is another crushing blow for a Braves club that has been hammered by major injuries all season. Even on Opening Day, Atlanta lost catcher Sean Murphy to an oblique strain that ultimately cost him about two months of the season.
That set the tone for a 2024 campaign that has seen Spencer Strider (torn UCL and internal brace surgery), Ronald Acuna Jr. (torn ACL), Ozzie Albies (fractured wrist), A.J. Minter (hip surgery) and Michael Harris II (Grade 2 hamstring strain) all endure considerable, if not season-ending injuries.
Riley, 27, hasn’t been at his best all season but has, until now, been in the lineup nearly every day. He’s also picked up the pace considerably since a dreadful start to the season. Riley lugged an awful .228/.295/.353 slash into June… and has since erupted with a .275/.339/.531 that falls right in line with his career averages.
In a lineup that’s frequently been without some of its best hitters, he’s been a constant alongside designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Now, Riley’s 2024 season may draw to a close with 110 games played — although the specific wording of the team’s announcement leaves the door cracked for Riley to perhaps play a few games late in September if he heals more quickly than expected and the Braves are still in wild-card contention.
In some ways, the fact that the Braves are even still in possession of a wild-card spot is remarkable. Strider pitched in just two games and yielded seven runs in nine innings before landing on the shelf with what became a season-ending ligament injury. Acuna played in only 49 games. Acuna, Albies (90), Harris (72) and Murphy (50) have all played in fewer than 100 of the Braves’ 124 games this season.
While the Braves have had exceedingly poor injury luck, they’ve also had several things go right. Atlanta has improbably gotten not only a healthy season out of Chris Sale but a vintage, Cy Young-caliber showing out of the 35-year-old lefty, who’s thrown just 10 fewer innings this season than he did in the entire four-year period preceding the 2024 season. Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach has debuted and outpaced expectations. Reynaldo Lopez has improbably gone from reliever to Cy Young-caliber results himself.
Still, the loss of Riley is a gut punch, particularly given how well he’d been hitting since the calendar flipped to June. The top of the Braves order will now need to rely on the aforementioned Ozuna, deadline pickup Jorge Soler and a trio of stars who’ve struggled through down seasons: Harris, Murphy and Matt Olson.
Atlanta has gotten solid production out of some bargain-bin pickups like Ramon Laureano and Whit Merrifield, but the offense it is trotting out on a nightly basis moving forward won’t resemble the powerhouse lineup it was expected to field this season.
At seven games back and now down another star player, Atlanta doesn’t have much of a path to overtaking the Phillies for the NL East crown. The Braves currently hold the final NL wild-card spot but are only two games up on the division-rival Mets and four games up on the Giants. The Cardinals, Cubs and Reds are all within six games of that final postseason slot as well.
More must-reads:
- Astros righty Luis Garcia will not return to team this season
- Astros share big news on Justin Verlander
- The 'MLB All-Star Game MVPs' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Surprise Brewers Rival Enters The Eugenio Suarez Trade Sweepstakes
The talk of the trade rumor mill right now is Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The Milwaukee Brewers are one of many teams to be connected to the 34 year old slugger, along with the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Suarez continues to raise his profile, battling with Shohei Ohtani for the NL home run lead, already with 36 long balls on the season. He'd be an immediate boost to any team looking for offensive help, which the Brewers certainly are. But there's another contender in the Suarez Sweepstakes that's just entered, and it's one the Brewers' other division rivals. The Cincinnati Reds. While the Milwaukee Brewers have taken a one game lead in the NL Central, the Cincinnati Reds have quietly snuck into 3rd place in the division and currently sit 8.5 games back of the Brewers with a 53-50 record. Fangraphs gives the Reds a 0.4% chance to win the division and a 10.9% chance to make the playoffs. Suarez would no doubt give a boost to the Reds in their hunt for a wild card spot, and it would be a reunion for the two sides. Suarez was a Red from 2015-2021 and he had some of the best years of his career there. He slugged a career high 49 home runs for them in 2019. The inclusion of the Reds would certainly throw a wrench in the Suarez sweepstakes as a team that's out on the periphery of the playoff race. He could certainly cause some more headaches for the Brewers as they try to close out the division. Still, the Reds might be a more preferable alternative destination for Suarez than the Cubs if you're the Brewers. The Reds have a lot of good, young players that they could trade in order to get Suarez. They've been desperate to get to that next level the last couple of years and they may finally push some chips in to get themselves back into the playoffs. The number of teams interested in Suarez continues to grow. That will just raise the price on the Brewers a little bit more if they want to get him.
NHL Analyst Links Edmonton Oilers Defenseman to Winnipeg Jets for Salary Cap Relief
NHL analyst Jake Tye of The Hockey News believes the Oilers could be in a position to trade Jake Walman for salary-cap relief, and the Jets are a team of interest. The 2026 NHL free-agent class appears to be shaping up to be one of the best ever, with Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Artemi Panarin heading up the list. The Winnipeg Jets might have a more grounded and smarter target in Oilers defenseman Jake Walman. At 29, the native from Toronto has become a consistent-scoring offensive defenseman with 50-point upside over a full season. A year ago, he posted 0.61 points per game in the regular season and held a 0.45 average over Edmonton's Stanley Cup Final run, with his play being especially beneficial in crucial moments. Picked in the third round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Jake Walman was initially viewed as an upper-end, Adam Fox-caliber defenseman. He was traded to Detroit, where he was part of a deal that had him, Oskar Sundqvist, and a second-round pick go to Detroit for Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski. There, he compiled 43 points in 145 games, showing glimpses of attacking flair. A cap-clearing deal then shipped him off to San Jose, where a larger role saw him tally 32 points in 50 games and make him an important asset in no time. Edmonton knocked on his door, acquiring him before his Cup journey, with him contributing 10 points in 22 games. Walman has just one year remaining on his contract Now with a year remaining on his $3.4 million contract and cap concerns for the Oilers, Walman could be on the open market sooner than later. 'With just one year left on his contract at $3.4 million and the Oilers facing cap constraints, Walman could be on the move again. He's drawn comparisons to Ryan McDonagh as another defenceman who thrived in a bottom-pairing role on a championship team. Like McDonagh with the Lightning, Walman combines solid two-way play with enough offensive upside to make a real impact. If he hits the open market or the Oilers are looking to move him, Walman could be a smart pickup for a team like Winnipeg as an option alongside Luke Schenn on the bottom pair and would work as cost-effective help on the backend with playoff aspirations in mind.' - Jake Tye His blend of solid two-way play and potential on offense makes him a cost-efficient depth signing for a contender like Winnipeg seeking blue-line help, per NHL analyst Jake Tye.
Jonathan Kuminga's Agent Shuts Down Rumors Of Rejecting $30 Million Per Year From Warriors
The Jonathan Kuminga situation has been more complicated for the Warriors with each passing day. From new teams showing interest in him to never-ending contract negotiations. The decision on what to do with Kuminga has halted all other moves for the Warriors. There were reports last season that claimed the Warriors had discussed a potential contract with Kuminga, but the 22-year-old reportedly rejected the offer at the time. Now, his agent, Aaron Turner, clarifies that these reports were never true. Even if the Warriors had internally discussed this offer, he claims such an offer was never presented to his client. "NO one on our side was turning down 30M a year. Our camp is smarter than that. Narrative makes no sense, twisted up Slater’s words, I think! #Fakenews" There have been rumors that Kuminga's camp has demanded a contract in that range itself, approximately $30 million a year. Meanwhile, the Warriors seem to be adamant on an approximately $20 million a year price tag for him. Therefore, it is naturally baffling to him that reports claim Kuminga was presented with the offer and rejected it, even when he wasn't even given the offer. The restricted free agent averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in the regular season last year. Midway through last season, Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga's rift became public. Ever since then, it has been unlikely that Kuminga signs an extension with the Warriors. The Warriors are now looking for a potential sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga if he finds a team willing to match his demands, which insiders feel is unlikely. The Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls are names that have come up in rumors of interest in Kuminga. But neither of the teams seems to be offering a player that the Warriors are interested in. If there is no solution to this situation, then Kuminga will be forced to return to the Warriors, as they had extended a qualifying offer to him worth $7.9 million. As a result of this, Kuminga could become a free agent in 2026. The question now remains: what will Kuminga do? Will he find a team that can match his demands? Make a compromise on his demands to accept a $20 million per year offer to get traded away from the Warriors? Or accept his qualifying offer and prove his worth to the league by performing for the Warriors next season? While a Warriors return seems unlikely, as his camp has reportedly claimed he is not interested in returning, with each passing day, it seems to become the likeliest conclusion to this saga.
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
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