Braves' $212M World Series Champion injury update raises red flag over late-season return

Braves’ $212M World Series Champion injury update raises red flag over late-season return originally appeared on The Sporting News

The Atlanta Braves have had a disappointing season after appearing poised for another deep run in October. However, that no longer seems likely, as injuries to both the pitching staff and position players continue to derail their hopes. Just last week, manager Brian Snitker revealed that three pitchers are likely done for the season.

Another key player recently added to the injured list is third baseman Austin Riley, who went down during a rundown against the Reds. A day after the incident, Riley was placed on the IL for the second time in a short span—this time due to an abdominal injury.

“With five starting pitchers already on the 60-day IL and Ronald Acuña Jr. sidelined for at least a couple more weeks with a lower right calf strain, slugging third baseman Austin Riley was placed on the 10-day IL on Monday due to a lower abdominal strain — his second trip to the injury list in less than a month,” MLB.com’s Mark Bowman wrote.

On Tuesday, Riley proceeded with scheduled workouts, but they didn’t go as hoped.

“He said that Riley had his workouts on Tuesday as planned, but they didn’t go well. Riley was still feeling it while doing running drills. Snitker is also concerned about what could happen when the third baseman needs to make a diving play, which caused his latest injury in the first place,” SI’s Harrison Smajovits wrote.

The following day brought more unfortunate news regarding Riley’s status and the nature of his injury.

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“Braves 3B Austin Riley is seeing a specialist, Dr. William Meyers, today in Philadelphia to diagnose the recurring abdominal soreness that’s twice landed him on the IL and could be a sports hernia. Meyers is a leading authority in core muscle injuries,” The Athletic’s David O’Brien wrote.

While this isn’t great news for Riley, it could be a blessing in disguise. With the Braves’ playoff hopes all but dashed, there’s no reason to rush him back. Returning too soon could risk a more serious injury, and given that Riley holds the longest remaining contract on the team, sending him back out prematurely wouldn’t be the wisest move.