ATLANTA – While the Mets are holding on to hope that Francisco Lindor can still play a role at the end of the season, the Braves have given up hope that any of their stars can still help.
Third baseman Austin Riley is out for the rest of the season, Braves manager Brian Snitker said after a CT scan of his broken right hand showed insufficient healing.
“It’s not where the doctors wanted it to be,” Snitker said Monday before opening the decisive series against the Mets with a 5-1 win at Truist Park.
Riley has been out of action since Aug. 18, when Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz struck Riley’s hand with a fastball. It was another devastating injury in a season full of them for the Braves.
At the time, the Braves thought it would be a six- to eight-week absence. A little more than five weeks later, the Braves have not seen enough progress to continue to inspire optimism.
Riley, an All-Star in 2022 and 2023 who had an OPS of .783 in 110 games before being sidelined, joins Spencer Strider (elbow surgery) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (torn ACL) as Atlanta standouts who will not be seen on the field this season.
The Braves also lost large chunks of center fielder Michael Harris II and second baseman Ozzie Albies, but they returned and were the club’s No. 1 and 2 hitters on Tuesday.
Former Yankee Gio Urshela has become Atlanta’s everyday third baseman in Riley’s place.
“He’s still in a cast, so realistically it’s been pretty tough on him,” Snitker said of Riley.
