Austin Riley's Season is Over for Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves had hoped All-Star third baseman Austin Riley could return for the final part of the season.

Atlanta Braves injured third baseman Austin Riley will not return in 2024. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Per multiple reports, Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said that Riley’s CT scan on Monday did not show that his hand had healed enough to take off his cast.

Austin Riley's season is over according to #Braves manager Brian Snitker. Simply was not healing fast enough, CT scan showed yesterday.

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) September 24, 2024

Riley has been out since Aug. 18 when he suffered a right hand fracture on a hit by pitch. He was projected to miss the remainder of the regular season at the time of initial testing after his injury. There were hopes he could be back for the playoffs, but those hopes are now over. 

Last week, more specifics of his injury were revealed. The hit by pitch broke his hamate bone. It's at the bottom of the hand and helps form part of the wrist joint. 

Riley finishes 2024 with a .256 batting average, a .793 OPS, 19 home runs and 56 RBIs in 110 games played. 

No matter how you slice it, it’s a loss for the Braves not to get him back in any way. The Braves were 60-50 in games Riley played in this season. Without him in the game, they are 25-21. The winning percentage is similar, but Riley's power numbers were surging before the injury. After a homer-less May, Riley had 12 of his home runs in just 41 games in July and August.

They’re one and a half games behind a wild card spot heading into Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets. They still control their own destiny, despite the odds. Having a healthy Riley could have made a difference.

At the very least, he’ll be healthy and ready to go for 2025 along with 2023 MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. Atlanta's lineup will look significantly different than the one they've had to piece together in the second half.

They have options for third base who have been serviceable in his absence including Gio Urshela and Whit Merrifield. However, they don't pose the same threat as Riley.

The Braves march on without Riley when they start their series with the New York Mets on Tuesday. It’s a key series in the hopes of reaching the playoffs. First pitch is set for 7:20 p.m. with Spencer Schwellenbach scheduled to take the mound.