Report: Braves Get Positive Update on Third Baseman Austin Riley

In a scary deja vu moment, Riley was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Out of precaution, the Braves removed him from the game. 

Last season, a hit by pitch in August broke his hand and he was out for the remainder of the season. 

Riley finished the 2024 season with a .256/.322/.461 slash line along with 19 home runs, 56 RBI and 63 runs in 469 plate appearances over 110 games. 

He was starting to look more like his all-star self before his injury, however. In the 57 games he played before his season ended, he had a slash line of .292/.354/.588 with 16 home runs and 46 home runs. Through 162 games, that would translate to 45 home runs and 102 RBIs. 

So, whatever slump he was in, it was past him by that point. It should be expected that he will continue his usual production in 2025. 

After slow first few games, Riley has had a terrific spring. He’s now batting .308 with an .879 OPS. Since March 2, he’s batting .466. 

Injuries have already started to become a headache for the Braves in spring, albeit they’ve avoided total chaos so far. 

Catcher Sean Murphy is out to start the regular season due to a cracked rib. Meanwhile, left fielder and offseason free-agent signing Jurickson Profar suffered a bone bruise on his left wrist on a diving play. 

The Braves will have a split-squad day on Saturday. One squad will head to Fort Myers to play the Boston Red Sox. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Chris Sale will pitch against his former team. The other squad will stay in North Port to take on the Minnesota Twins. AJ Smith-Shawver will take the ball to start the game. 

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