Braves infield slugger still struggling with injury problem

Austin Riley, the Braves’ third baseman, has not played since last Sunday’s game against the Mets due to left side discomfort, according to reports.

While he has been out of commission for about a week, he may still be a few days away from returning to the lineup. The 27-year-old told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that he has yet to begin swinging a bat after suffering the ailment, which the Braves’ medical staff eventually diagnosed as intercostal inflammation. According to Toscano, Riley has not committed to returning to the starting lineup in time for the club’s three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago, which starts on Tuesday.

If Riley misses Tuesday’s game, he will have been out of commission for nine days. With such a protracted absence, the club’s choice not to place the slugger on the injured list, which requires a minimum stay of 10 days, seems unusual. Despite this, Riley stated that the team has not explored the prospect of an IL trip with him. IL travels can only be backdated for a maximum of three days, therefore Riley would have to miss at least a week from the day he was placed on the shelf before returning.

Manager Brian Snitker also addressed Riley’s absence with media on Saturday, telling David O’Brien of The Athletic that if Riley’s soreness does not improve in the coming days, the team will consider putting him on the shelf. According to Snitker, the club’s reluctance to put Riley on the shelf at this time is due in part to a lack of quality alternatives to replace Riley on the roster at the upper levels of the organization. Outfielders Forrest Wall and J.P. Martinez are the only position players on the Triple-A 40-man roster.

While the club went to utilityman David Fletcher to fill in on the bench earlier this season, he is no longer on the 40-man roster and is dealing with off-the-field difficulties stemming from rumored unlawful wagers on sports other than baseball during his time in Anaheim. If Riley is sent to the IL, veteran utilityman Leury Garcia may be the club’s best choice to step in for him. Garcia battled to a.210/.233/.267 slash line in his final taste of major league play in 2022, when he appeared in 97 games for the Chicago White Sox. Despite those dismal numbers, Garcia has had some success at Triple-A with the Braves this season, posting a good 113 wRC+ in 116 plate appearances.

Adding to the club’s injury difficulties is the absence of catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who left Friday’s game against the Padres with disorientation after a foul ball damaged his face mask. Braves fans got some good news about the veteran catcher on Saturday, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that the 35-year-old is feeling much better today, despite being held out of the starting lineup for tonight’s game. Bowman also stated that d’Arnaud is ready for usage in an emergency over the next two days, and that if his progress continues, he might return to the lineup for Monday’s series finale against San Diego.  In the meantime, the Braves will lean on Chadwick Tromp to cover for d’Arnaud behind the plate.

After being demoted to the role of backup in favor of Sean Murphy last year, d’Arnaud has reclaimed regular catching responsibilities for Atlanta this season after Sean Murphy was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain just one game into the 2024 season. He’s made the most of his extra playing time thus far, hitting an impressive.255/.336/.500 with five home runs in 116 plate appearances. Having said that, it appears that Murphy may be returning to action in Atlanta soon. MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that the Braves are currently planning for Murphy has looked good in offensive and defensive drills during his recovery and is set to begin a rehab assignment during this upcoming week. Widely regarded as among the top catchers in baseball on both sides of the ball, the return of Murphy figures to offer a huge boost to the Braves as they head into the summer 3.5 games behind the Phillies for the NL East crown despite a strong 26-15 record.