The Atlanta Braves face a big problem with the loss of their outstanding third baseman, Austin Riley, who will miss the rest of the regular season due to a broken right hand.
In an effort to fill Riley’s spot, the Braves immediately acquired veteran infielder Gio Urshela, who arrived in Atlanta on Monday night and signed his Major League contract on Tuesday morning. Urshela stated his excitement about joining the Braves and adding to their playoff hopes.
To make room for Urshela on the roster, the Braves placed Riley on the 10-day injured list and pitcher A.J. Minter on the 60-day disabled list, thus ending Minter’s season following recent hip surgery.
The Detroit Tigers just released Urshela, 32, after a season in which he hit.243 with five home runs and a.619 OPS across 92 games. The Tigers dismissed him to assess younger infield prospects as the season came to a close.
Braves manager Brian Snitker acknowledged the team’s good fortune in obtaining Urshela, given the dearth of solid internal candidates to replace Riley. Urshela has experience and a proven track record, having had above-average offensive numbers (119 OPS+) with the Yankees and Twins from 2019 to 2022.
Despite a pelvic fracture that terminated his 2023 season with the Angels, Urshela showed promise by hitting.299 with a.703 OPS in 62 games before being injured.
Riley was injured on Sunday when he was hit by a 97-mph fastball from Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz. Although initial testing were inconclusive, there was some anxiety about the seriousness of Riley’s injuries before he returned to Atlanta for an MRI on Monday.
Riley’s absence is a huge setback to the Braves, as he had been hitting.292 with 16 home runs and a.942 OPS in his last 57 games.
Riley’s chase of a fourth consecutive 30-homer season is also ended by this injury, as he finishes the year with 19 home runs and a.783 OPS. Despite missing two weeks in May due to an oblique strain, Riley had recovered and was becoming a vital offensive player for the Braves prior to this terrible setback. The Braves now look on Urshela to help them maintain their momentum as they approach the postseason.
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