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This is not great news for the Braves and Austin Riley

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 7:20 PM ET

The Braves offense has caught fire over the last few weeks, and they’ve been doing it without one of their best bats in Austin Riley.

Riley initially hit the Injured List with an abdominal strain following a July 11th game with the St. Louis Cardinals. He would return two weeks later, but the issue flared up and he found himself back on the IL. The hope was that this would be another short stint away from the team, but as Riley’s attempted to work his way back, he’s been unable to do so without feeling discomfort.

Now, the Braves third baseman is set to visit Dr. William Meyers — a specialist when it comes to core muscle injuries.

#Braves 3B Austin Riley is seeing a specialist, Dr. William Meyers, today in Philadelphia to diagnose the recurring abdominal soreness that’s twice landed him on the IL and could be a sports hernia. Meyers is a leading authority in core muscle injuries.

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) August 20, 2025

There appears to be a concern that Austin Riley is dealing with a sports hernia, which would end his season and could require surgery. That would be the worst case scenario, but regardless of what comes to light during this visit, the Braves have absolutely no reason to rush him back. They’ve already tried to do so not once but twice, and the issue is still persisting over a month from when it initially revealed itself.

Like a lot of other injured Braves, it might be best to shut down Austin Riley for the season.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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