ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Atlanta Braves placed two-time All-Star third baseman Austin Riley on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strained right abdomen.
Riley was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fourth inning of the Braves’ 6-5 win at St. Louis on Friday night. He said he first noticed discomfort while fielding a Pedro Pagés bunt in the second inning, and it got worse on a Willson Contreras groundout in the third.
"It’s a weird spot. I have to make that play all the time and never have any issues, so I don’t know really what happened,” Riley said. “I went through my normal routine of preparing, and I feel like I do a good job of making sure I’m ready.”
After Sunday’s game in St. Louis, Atlanta will host the All-Star Game on Tuesday and then come out of the All-Star break with a three-game series against the New York Yankees starting Friday.
“Obviously, we got the break coming up,” Riley said. “I think that that’ll be huge, getting some rest there, and hopefully be back in no time.”
Riley is hitting .274 this season and entered Saturday ranked third in the NL with 104 hits, behind Trea Turner and Manny Machado. He has hit 14 home runs with 48 RBIs. He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023.
Manager Brian Snitker said he noticed Riley still seemed uncomfortable when the two shared an elevator Saturday morning.
He moved Ronald Acuña Jr. down to third in the lineup to beef up the middle of the order with Riley out. Jurickson Profar, who returned from a suspension on July 1, took over the leadoff spot from Acuña, who missed the first two months of the season while recovering from a knee injury.
“We just keep battling through things like that. I mean, we’ve done it for over a year,” Snitker said. “I hate it for Austin, too, because he’s swinging the bat pretty good.”
The Braves recalled infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. from Triple-A Gwinnett and inserted him at third base for Riley. Alvarez, who appeared in eight games for the Braves last July, was hitting .361 in 11 games with Gwinnett. He was a fifth-round draft pick in 2022.
Atlanta also activated left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz after selecting him on waivers from Minnesota. Right-hander Nathan Wiles was optioned to Gwinnett.
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Atlanta Braves' Austin Riley looks on during batting practice before a baseball game against the Athletics, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
