Report: Austin Riley’s return to the Braves looms
After 10 days on the mend, Austin Riley could soon return to the Braves. According to Grant McAuley, Atlanta’s third baseman will go through more workouts before the contest against the Giants tonight, adding that Brian Snitker mentioned the fielding aspect as the most important factor in Riley’s return and that he could be back […] The post Report: Austin Riley’s return to the Braves looms appeared first on SportsTalkATL.com.
After 10 days on the mend, Austin Riley could soon return to the Braves.
According to Grant McAuley, Atlanta’s third baseman will go through more workouts before the contest against the Giants tonight, adding that Brian Snitker mentioned the fielding aspect as the most important factor in Riley’s return and that he could be back as soon as tomorrow.
Austin Riley will go through more workouts pregame today. Brian Snitker mentioned the fielding aspect will be the most important because Riley hurt himself coming in a slow roller. #Braves could activate him from the IL on Tuesday if all goes well.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) July 21, 2025
Riley’s 2025 campaign hasn’t been as bad as the respective seasons of Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II; he’s at least been above average in comparison to the rest of the league. However, Riley is still playing below his own standards.
From 2021 to 2023, which prompted the Braves to make him the highest player in franchise history, Austin Riley averaged an OPS+ that was anywhere from 30% to 40% above league average, finishing in the top 7 of the MVP voting every single year.
In 2024, that figure dropped to just 15% above league average, and this year it is even lower. Simply put, he hasn’t been good enough. Hopefully, in his return, Riley will finish the season on a hot streak because the club will be expecting him to rebound in a big way in 2026.
In his place, Nacho Alvarez has manned the hot corner and has held his own defensively while leaving a little to be desired offensively. It’s a tiny sample size, so it’s not like any definitive conclusions can be drawn, but Alvarez is slashing .222/.300/.278 with one extra-base hit across 20 plate appearances.
With Ozzie Albies struggling mightily, it’s probably a good idea to see what the club has in Alvarez, but it seems that’ll be short-lived with Austin Riley returning sometime this week.
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Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
The post Report: Austin Riley’s return to the Braves looms appeared first on SportsTalkATL.com.
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