Braves' Austin Riley to Miss Extended Time After Suffering Fractured Hand

Karl Rasmussen | Aug 19, 2024

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) celebrates his single in a game against the Miami Marlins in the sixth inning at Truist Park. / Mady Mertens-USA TODAY Sports

The injury bug continues to bite the Atlanta Braves, with Austin Riley the latest to land on the shelf.

The star third baseman underwent an MRI on Sunday which revealed that he sustained a fracture in his right hand. As such, Riley is set to miss the next six to eight weeks, meaning he'll be sidelined for most if not all of the remainder of the regular season.

Riley, 27, exited Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels after getting hit by a pitch in the hand. A 97-mph sinker ran inside and clipped him on the hand, resulting in the fracture.

This season, Riley is slashing .256/.322/.461 with 19 home runs and 56 RBIs. His .783 OPS is his lowest mark since 2020.

He'll join a slew of his teammates on the IL, with the likes of Reynaldo Lopez, Ozzie Albies and A.J. Minter already on the 10 and 15-day injured lists, while Huascar Ynoa, Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider, Ray Kerr and Angel Perdomo remain on the 60-day IL.

Atlanta (66–58) sits seven games behind the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies but are holding onto the final National League wild-card spot by two games over the New York Mets.