The Atlanta Braves have suffered yet another major injury blow, just as they prepared to face the Philadelphia Phillies in a crucial series. The Braves lost their star third baseman, Austin Riley, for the remainder of the regular season due to a fracture in his right hand. Riley is expected to be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks, adding to the Braves’ ongoing injury woes that have plagued the team since the start of the season.
The Braves’ injury list is extensive. Catcher Sean Murphy strained his oblique during the season opener and was out for two months. Ace pitcher Spencer Strider only made two starts before spraining his elbow, which required Tommy John surgery. Ronald Acuña Jr., a key player for the Braves, tore his ACL just before Memorial Day, while Michael Harris II missed two months with a hamstring strain. Additionally, Ozzie Albies has been out for two months with a fractured wrist, and Jorge Soler, who has been a valuable power hitter for the Braves since being acquired at the trade deadline, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since Wednesday.
The Braves’ pitching staff has also been hit hard. Max Fried missed three weeks in July due to a forearm injury, and Reynaldo Lopez was also out for the same duration. Both have since returned, with Lopez set to start on Tuesday and Fried on Wednesday against the Phillies.
In a twist of irony, Chris Sale, who has struggled with injuries in recent years and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2017, has remained healthy and is currently the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young award.
While the Phillies have dealt with their share of injuries, including short stints on the IL for Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, their situation is not as dire as Atlanta’s. The Braves’ situation is comparable to the Phillies losing key players like Zack Wheeler and Harper for the season, and J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner, and Schwarber for two months each.
Riley has been a particularly tough opponent for Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, batting .365 against him with five doubles and six home runs. He has also fared well against other Phillies pitchers, Cristopher Sanchez and Taijuan Walker.
The Phillies currently hold a seven-game lead over the Braves and will face them seven times in the next 13 days, including three games at Truist Park this week and four at Citizens Bank Park next week. This stretch of games presents a significant opportunity for the Phillies to capitalize on the Braves’ injury struggles and potentially bury them in the standings, which could also impact the wild-card race, with the Mets just 1½ games behind the Braves for the final playoff spot.
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