Austin Riley Fantasy Stats

After recording three consecutive 30-homer, 90-RBI campaigns from 2021 through 2023, Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley looked to have established himself as one of the best right-handed hitters in baseball. However, the 28-year-old has battled injuries and underperformance in each of the last two seasons, bringing some question marks to his fantasy profile. Core muscle issues limited Riley to just 447 plate appearances in 2025, across which he slashed .260/.309/.428 with 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two stolen bases. His strikeout rate jumped to 28.6%, his worst mark since his rookie season in 2019. Still, Riley posted an elite 15.2% barrel rate and 50.2% hard-hit rate in 2025, and he is entering 2026 fully healthy. If he can kick the injury bug, Riley may return to the ranks of elite fantasy third basemen.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is coming off two injury-shortened seasons, but he's feeling good going into the 2026 campaign and is hoping to return to the 30-homer mark, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. "If I don't hit 30-plus homers and drive in 90-100 runs, I kind of feel like it's a wash of a season," Riley said. He's one of only three Braves legends -- Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and AnDruw Jones -- to have three 30-homer, 90-RBI seasons at 26 or younger. The 28-year-old had sports hernia surgery last August and was limited to 102 games, slashing .260/.309/.428 with a .737 OPS, 16 home runs, 54 RBI, and 54 runs in 447 plate appearances. Riley hit three straight opposite-field homers in batting practice on Monday and could be ready to bounce back this year. His price has dropped in fantasy, but Riley still can be a top-30 overall player in a strong Braves lineup if he can stay healthy all year.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley saw his batting stats continue to decline in 2025. He finished the year with a .260/.309/.428 slash line and just 16 home runs, which was the second-lowest mark of his career. He also posted some of the worst plate discipline metrics since his rookie campaign, including a 6.0% walk rate and a 28.6% strikeout rate. This represented a massive step back for the 28-year-old, especially after he totaled 108 home runs from 2022 through 2024. Perhaps the biggest bright spot of Riley's 2025 season was that he posted 1.0 fWAR at the hot corner, although he produced negative OAA and FRV values. The Braves and fantasy managers will maintain optimism that Riley can rediscover his power stroke and return to All-Star form. The good news is that he's now healthy after missing the final two months of the regular season with a strained lower abdominal muscle. As it stands, he ranks as the #5 third baseman in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

The Atlanta Braves announced on Thursday that third baseman Austin Riley (abdomen) will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after undergoing surgery on his core that was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. Riley is expected to return for spring training next year. The 28-year-old tried to return from his abdominal injury but was unable to do so, so he'll end the 2025 campaign with a .260/.309/.428 slash line, 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 54 runs scored and two stolen bases in 102 games in his seventh MLB season. The two-time All-Star also missed a big chunk of the 2024 season due to injury and has become a high-risk/high-reward power-hitting third baseman in an Atlanta offense that could very easily rebound in 2026 with better health. With Riley officially out the rest of the way, expect Nacho Alvarez Jr. to see most of the action at third base for the Braves.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (abdomen) felt more soreness while working out on Tuesday, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Gabe Burns thinks it doesn't seem like Riley is going to return any time soon. The 28-year-old has missed most of the month of August while on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower abdominal muscle. Riley is still trying to return this season, but with the Braves nowhere near playoff contention, the Braves aren't going to rush him back, which means there's a possibility he could get shut down if he doesn't see improvement soon. At the very least, fantasy managers probably shouldn't expect him to return until at least some point in September. In the meantime, Nacho Alvarez Jr. should continue to see most of the playing time at the hot corner in Atlanta. Riley has hit .260 (108-for-416) with 16 homers and 54 RBI in 102 games in 2025.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (abdominal) was able to run the bases on Sunday. However, Riley reportedly felt abdominal discomfort afterwards. Despite that, Riley is scheduled to run again on Tuesday, so hopefully there will be better results. Riley has been sidelined since early August due to an abdominal issue. There doesn't appear to be a timetable for his return at the moment. It's unclear if he'll require a rehab assignment or not. Fantasy managers should check back on Tuesday for another update on his status. Nacho Alvarez Jr. figures to continue seeing playing time at third base.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (abdominal) reportedly felt discomfort while doing some throwing on Tuesday. The hope was that Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. (calf) would both be able to return from the injured list this week. Now, it seems unlikely that Riley is going to return to play when first eligible to come off the injured list on Thursday. Given the setback, it's possible that Riley does require a rehab assignment before returning to the Braves lineup. The Braves haven't given much information on that, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect Riley back in the lineup this weekend. Fantasy managers should check back throughout the week for more updates.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (abdominal) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list this week. Both Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. (calf) is with the team and expected to play at some point this week. Riley isn't eligible to return until Thursday, so he might not be back into the lineup until this weekend. Riley has been sidelined since early August due to an abdominal strain. The right-handed slugger missed time in July as well due to injury. The Braves are likely to be cautious here and wait until Riley is 100 percent healthy before getting him back into their lineups.

The Atlanta Braves announced on Monday that they placed infielder Austin Riley (abdomen) back on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower abdominal muscle and recalled infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move. Additionally, the club recalled infielder Jonathan Ornelas after optioning outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett after Sunday's game. Riley was on the IL with an abdominal strain in July and will head back there after aggravating the injury in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. We would be surprised if the 28-year-old is back when he's eligible to come off the IL on Aug. 14 with the Braves out of playoff contention. In the meantime, fantasy managers should expect Alvarez to handle the majority of playing time at the hot corner in Atlanta. Riley needs to be stashed in all fantasy formats while he recovers.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (abdomen) left Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds with lower-abdominal pain, the team announced. Luke Williams took over for Riley. The severity of Riley's injury is unclear, but it's worth noting that he spent some time on the 10-day IL in July with a strained right abdomen. When healthy, Riley has hit .260/.309/.428 with 16 homers, 54 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 447 plate appearances.