The Atlanta Braves would absolutely be one in all baseball’s most proficient groups if they’ll handle to remain wholesome. An avalanche of accidents worn out their World Sequence aspirations final season and now it’s threatening to renew in 2025. All-Star third baseman Austin Riley grew to become the most recent Courageous to maintain an harm when he was hit by a pitch and compelled to depart a spring coaching sport Friday.
Luckily, Riley appears to have prevented a critical setback. A day after he was hit on the appropriate hand in a Grapefruit League sport in opposition to the Washington Nationals, Riley took batting observe and felt nice afterwards, based on MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The HBP ought to solely maintain him out a pair days, that means he’s anticipated to be good to go for Opening Day.
Can Austin Riley and the Braves keep away from one other harm epidemic?
Riley’s harm scare felt significantly alarming to Braves followers because the sixth-year veteran was hit in the identical hand final season, which resulted in a fracture that ended his marketing campaign in August. The harm restricted Riley to 110 video games in 2024 and it stopped his three-year streak of hitting 33 or extra residence runs a season.
Along with Riley, Jurickson Profar had an harm scare this spring when he jammed his wrist whereas making an attempt to make a catch within the outfield. Atlanta’s catcher Sean Murphy suffered a cracked rib that can maintain him out a minimum of a month. After which Murphy’s alternative, Drake Baldwin was scratched from a spring coaching sport with an ailment.
Luckily for the Braves, Profar, who was the membership’s massive offseason acquisition, is anticipated to be prepared by Opening Day. In the meantime Baldwin skilled an allergic response and has already returned to the lineup.
In fact, the workforce remains to be lacking two key gamers who have been misplaced for the season early in 2024, as Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider stay sidelined. Nevertheless, the Braves anticipate each again comparatively early in 2025. Strider needs to be able to take the mound in late April whereas Acuña ought to rejoin the workforce in Could.
Supervisor Brian Snitker views their return as making two actually good trades for the reason that Braves will add a former MVP and a Cy Younger-caliber pitcher to the roster mid-season. Assuming the workforce can keep wholesome, the infusion of expertise ought to assist Atlanta compete within the NL East with the reigning division champs, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the brand new look New York Mets, who added Juan Soto in free company.