Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is out of the lineup again Saturday. Saturday’s game will be the fifth straight that Riley has missed. He was pulled from last Sunday’s game in New York after experiencing soreness in his side on a swing and miss. He later underwent an MRI exam that revealed inflammation.
The Braves didn’t place him on the injured list and the hope was that they would get him back at some point during the homestand. However, Riley told reporters Saturday that he is dealing with intercostal muscle inflammation and still has not swung a bat since the injury.
Austin Riley said the pain in his side has toned down and described the issue as an intercostal muscle inflammation toward the bottom rib on his left side.
Still hasnt swung a bat, but said they haven’t mentioned an IL stint to him. #Braves
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 18, 2024
Atlanta can only back date an injured list assignment three days. An IL stint probably can’t be ruled out at this point, but they have waited so long that it probably doesn’t hurt to wait a little longer and see how he progresses.
Travis d’Arnaud update
While the situation around Riley remains unclear, the Braves may have dodged a bullet with Travis d’Arnaud. d’Arnaud is out of the lineup Saturday after taking a foul ball off the mask and experiencing some dizziness. However, he told Bowman Saturday that he is feeling better and could be used in an emergency situation the next couple of days.
d’Arnaud feels much better. He’s available to be used in an emergency situation the next two days. Seems he could possibly be back in the lineup for Monday’s game against the Padres
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 18, 2024
d’Arnaud, who has a history of concussions, passed all the tests Friday night. The Braves will obviously play it safe with him. Chadwick Tromp will be in the lineup for the next few days until d’Arnaud is ready to return. Sean Murphy is slated to begin a rehab assignment next week.
