Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley brought his best stuff to the ballpark on Sunday Night Baseball as the Braves were looking to avoid the three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Riley went 2-for-4 in the evening with two home runs, both being two-run shots from right-handed pitcher Dustin May. Both long balls were needed, as the Braves went on to win the contest 4-3 with all of the runs driven in by Riley. After Sunday's impressive performance, Riley bumped his season slash line to .292/.336/.511 with eight home runs, 14 runs scored, and 24 RBI. Riley is back on track to his All-Star caliber performance after a sluggish 2024 season and a slow start to 2025. Next up for the Braves is a four-game homestand against the Cincinnati Reds.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley went 2-for-3 with a homer, a walk, two runs, and two RBI in a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Riley tied the game with a two-run homer off St. Louis starter Erick Fedde in the third inning on a shot that traveled 412 feet with a 107 MPH exit velocity. Riley is now hitting .278 with six homers, 12 runs, and 15 RBI across 90 at-bats this season. He had done a majority of his damage over the past seven games, with four homers and nine RBI over that span. Riley should be locked into fantasy lineups while he's swinging a hot bat.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley continued to get things going offensively in Monday's 8-4 win over the Blue Jays. Riley went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a three-run HR. The 28-year-old crushed a third-inning Easton Lucas fastball over the center-field wall to score two and obliterated a fifth-inning Lucas slider deep into the center-field seats to score three. After collecting just two hits in March, Riley has looked like his old self and is now slashing .288/.329/.530 with four HR and 11 RBI in 70 plate appearances. Hopefully, he can help drive a turnaround for a Braves' lineup that is still struggling overall.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley has been dropped down to fifth in the batting order for Friday's series opener at Truist Park against the division-rival Miami Marlins and right-hander Max Meyer. Riley has hit either second or third for the first seven games of the season, but the Braves are going to change things up as they search for their first win of 2025. The 28-year-old right-handed slugger isn't the only one slumping to begin the year in Atlanta's lineup, but he has gone 3-for-27 with a home run, one RBI, two runs scored, two walks and 11 strikeouts in 29 plate appearances. Second baseman Ozzie Albies will hit second in the lineup. The drop in the order will make Riley less attractive for DFS purposes, although he has hit .400 with a solo home run in a small sample size of five career at-bats against Meyer.
Austin Riley Doubles In Return To Lineup On Saturday
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (hand) returned to the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins and went 1-for-3 in the contest with a double while playing third base and batting in the two-hole. Riley was hit by a pitch on his right hand on Friday but was able to return to action a day later. The 27-year-old right-handed slugger is now hitting a cool .310 with an .892 OPS, a homer, three doubles and two runs scored in 12 spring training games. Riley actually suffered a season-ending fractured right hand in mid-August of last year and finished with 19 home runs, 56 RBI and 63 runs scored in just 110 games in 2024 as a result. The two-time All-Star is completely healthy now, though, and should be considered a top-five fantasy third baseman on a strong team after hitting 30-plus home runs in each season from 2021-23.
Austin Riley Hit By Pitch On Friday, X-Rays Come Back Negative
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (forearm, wrist) left Friday's Grapefruit League game against the division-rival Washington Nationals after he was hit by a pitch in the right forearm/wrist area. Riley passed initial strength tests, and X-rays came back negative for any broken bones, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano. The 27-year-old will now go for a CT scan, with the Braves not saying anything until they have the full update. While it appears Riley avoided a significant injury, he's not out of the woods just yet. We will continue to monitor the situation, but expect him to miss at least a few days in camp. If the CT scan doesn't show anything serious, Riley should be ready for Opening Day in late March. There is more concern here since Riley dealt with a fractured hand in 2024, which wasn't discovered until he had a CT scan. Stay tuned. UPDATE: Riley is considered day-to-day and will not have to return to Atlanta for further testing.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (hand) was seen taking batting practice at Braves camp on Wednesday. It's a nice sight for the Braves after Riley's 2024 season was cut short last year due to a fractured hand that he suffered on Aug. 18. The 27-year-old avoided surgery, though, and appears to be full go for spring training this year. If he avoids injuries in 2025, fantasy managers should be getting an elite power hitter that is a good bet to return to the 30-homer mark. The former first-rounder and two-time All-Star hit a combined 75 long balls in 2022 and 2023 but fell to 19 home runs and 56 RBI in just 110 games played last season because of his hand injury. Fantasy managers shouldn't hold his 2024 injury against him in drafts this spring. RotoBaller currently has Riley ranked as the No. 4 fantasy third baseman.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (hand) will not return this season, according to manager Brian Snitker. Riley's hand simply was not healing fast enough after he had a CT scan on Monday. Even if the Braves sneak into the postseason in a wild-card spot, Riley will not be able to help them out in October. It's a big blow to a team that basically needs to win each game this week to have a shot at getting into the playoffs. The 27-year-old right-handed slugger is out with a fractured hand and will finish a disappointing year after making the All-Star squad in both 2022 and 2023. In 110 games played in 2024, he slashed .256/.322/.461 with a .783 OPS, 19 home run, 56 RBI and 63 runs scored. Riley had clubbed 30-plus homers in each of the previous three seasons. The slick-fielding Gio Urshela should be Atlanta's primary third baseman the rest of the way.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (hand) will undergo a CT scan on Monday to determine if his broken right hand has healed fully and if he can remove his cast. Riley broke the hamate bone in his right hand and has been out since the middle of August. Even if Riley is able to remove his cast next week, it isn't guaranteed that he'd be able to return for Atlanta if they are able to secure the final wild-card spot in the National League for the postseason in October. The 27-year-old right-handed slugger should have already been dropped in season-long leagues since he won't return in the final month of the regular season. Atlanta's offense has been limping to the finish line with outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and Riley missing extended time in 2024 due to injuries. In 110 games before breaking his hand, Riley hit 19 homers and drove in 56. It's been a disappointing year after three straight 30-homer campaigns.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (hand) had an MRI exam on Monday that showed a right-hand fracture. Riley is expected to miss roughly six to eight weeks with the injury, meaning fantasy managers will lose him for the rest of the regular season. There's a chance the 27-year-old right-handed slugger could return to the Braves if they get into the playoffs, but that won't be guaranteed. It's a serious blow for fantasy managers and the Braves with the season winding down. He suffered the injury on a hit-by-pitch on Sunday. The former first-rounder will end his 2024 campaign with a .256/.322/.461 slash line, a .783 OPS, 19 home runs, 56 RBI and 63 runs scored in 110 games after three straight 30-homer seasons. Luke Williams is expected to see the majority of the starts moving forward for a Braves team clinging to the third and final wild-card spot in the National League.
Austin Riley
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