With Austin Riley Out, Who Will Step Up, and Will the Braves Rally to the Postseason?
The Braves announced Monday, August 19th that Austin Riley’s MRI revealed a right hand fracture and that he will be out for six to eight weeks. This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time as the Braves currently hold a two-game lead with the third NL Wild Card, but have a bunch of tough remaining series versus the Phillies, Twins, and Dodgers in the next month. Riley is a cornerstone for this team and the impact of his presence will show in his absence. The question now remains with the injuries continuing to decimate the Braves with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies on the IL currently, who will step up to play third base, but also step up to replace his bat in the lineup?
The Braves currently have two guys on their roster who have experience at third base, with Luke Williams and Whit Merrifield. However, Merrifield has been seeing time at second base in the absence of Albies, and Williams is being used the majority of the time as a pinch runner as he lacks the ability to put the ball in play, batting with a .118 average and still yet to record an RBI on the year. They have Zack Short and Nacho Alvarez Jr. both in the minors currently, who have had stints with the Braves but were sent down due to lack of consistency and production. The Braves have an interesting decision to make and hope that whoever fills the void can provide something as they continue their late-season playoff push in the last quarter of the season.
Will the Braves be able to hold onto this lead, or could the Mets or possibly someone else come up and take this spot? The Braves currently hold a two-game lead over the New York Mets, who they will eventually see in their second to last series of the season. The Braves will be searching for offensive production in the absence of Riley and will need someone to step up. Whether it is Riley’s replacement or a guy from the outfield, they will need people to assist Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson, who are the only two sluggers in this lineup, although Olson has been having a down year. A possible breakout candidate I believe is Orlando Arcia, who has proven to have some power and can be a true spark plug for Atlanta in the bottom of their lineup. The Braves will need to figure out how to replace Riley fast, or else their lead on the Mets will slip away.
