Austin Riley left tonight’s game in the fourth inning with what the Braves described as left side tightness to reporters including David O'Brien of The Athletic The removal was specifically cited to be “a precaution,” so there isn’t yet any indication that Riley may have suffered an oblique-related injury.
#Braves third baseman Austin Riley left the game after the top of the fourth inning due to tightness in his left side. Team characterized it as a precautionary move. Looked like he felt it on a swing in a third-inning strikeout.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 13, 2024
Austin Riley left tonight’s game in the fourth inning with what the Braves described as left side tightness to reporters including David O'Brien of The Athletic The removal was specifically cited to be “a precaution,” so there isn’t yet any indication that Riley may have suffered an oblique-related injury.
Speaking with reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) afterward, Riley said he felt the side soreness during batting practice but didn’t inform the team because he didn’t think the issue was too much of a concern.
Though Atlanta has an impressive 24-13 record, Riley is one of a few Braves stars who have yet to really get rolling at the plate. A top-seven finisher in NL MVP voting in each of the last three seasons, Riley has hit only .245/.319/.388 over his first 163 plate appearances, with just three home runs. The power dropoff is unusual since Riley’s advanced metrics are largely similar to previous seasons, though since Riley has also shown some streakiness in past years, a breakout might be just around the corner if he is healthy. Losing Riley for any stretch of time would hurt Atlanta’s lineup, though the newly acquired Short might have a sudden path to the regular lineup if Riley does need to hit the injured list.
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