Austin Riley's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley's (side) MRI exam on Monday showed only inflammation in his side and he's considered day-to-day. Riley was pulled from Sunday's loss to the New York Mets with an injury to his left side and didn't play in the series opener on Monday versus the Chicago Cubs as a result. The 27-year-old shouldn't need a trip to the 10-day injured list after his MRI exam came back negative, but there's no guarantee that he'll be back in the starting lineup for the second game of the series against Chicago on Tuesday. With Riley out on Monday, Zack Short got the start at third base and was hitting ninth in the batting order. Riley is hitting .245 (36-for-147) on the year with three home runs and 18 RBI but has been hot so far in May, going 10-for-32 (.313) with a homer and four RBI in nine games.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) is undergoing an MRI exam on Monday and is not in the team's starting lineup for the series opener against the visiting Chicago Cubs. The Braves are still hopeful that Riley will avoid a stint on the injured list but they won't know more until they see the results, which will likely be known after Monday's game, according to manager Brian Snitker. With Riley out on Monday, Zack Short is starting at third base and is batting ninth against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. The 27-year-old Riley was pulled from Sunday's loss to the New York Mets with soreness in his left side. The Braves are optimistic now, but side injuries can be tricky to return quickly from, so fantasy managers may want to prepare for Riley landing on the IL just in case. If Riley does land on the IL, the Braves could call up utility infielder David Fletcher from the minors.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) isn't too concerned about being removed from Sunday night's loss to the division-rival New York Mets early as a precaution with left-side tightness and considers himself day-to-day. Riley started feeling tightness in his side during batting practice before Sunday's contest and was eventually removed in the fourth inning after going 1-for-2. The 27-year-old doesn't know if he'll go for an MRI exam on Monday, but there's a very good chance he won't be in the starting lineup for the series opener on Monday against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers will have to make a tough decision whether to keep him in their lineups in weekly leagues, but you shouldn't rule out a trip to the injured list.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (back) was removed during Sunday's game against the New York Mets. The slugging infielder appears to have injured himself during a swing in the third inning. As a precaution, the Braves decided to remove Riley from the game before the bottom of the fourth inning. Braves' manager Brian Snitker reportedly said that Riley was dealing with tightness in his side before the game. The team obviously doesn't want to take any chances with their young superstar. Fantasy managers shouldn't hit the panic button quite yet. There should be more information on his status following Sunday's game. Orlando Arcia, Luke Williams, and Zack Short would be options to play third base if Riley does miss time.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley showed signs of life at the plate on Sunday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians with a 2-for-4 performance, including the game-winner in the bottom of the 10th inning. Riley also walked and struck out in the 4-3 win. Even with the two-hit performance as the hero on Sunday, Riley has gone 4-for-33 (.121) with no home runs, two RBI and 11 strikeouts in his last nine games to drop his season line to .234/.311/.383. The 27-year-old former first-rounder in 2015 has not gone deep for the Braves in 18 games. On the bright side, Riley continues to hit the ball well, he just hasn't had much to show for it. Fantasy managers should continue to stick with him, and hopefully his two-hit performance on Sunday will get him going.