The Braves' tough 2025 season worsens as Austin Riley hits the IL. Atlanta's offense vanishes in a 3-1 loss to the Brewers after a leadoff HR. Read more.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Just when you thought the 2025 season couldn't get any tougher, it did. The Atlanta Braves didn't just lose a game on Monday night; they lost their cornerstone third baseman. The team announced that Austin Riley has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a lower abdominal strain, a crushing blow to a lineup that promptly demonstrated how much it will miss him in a dismal 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Braves fell to 47-64, now 16.5 games out of first in the NL East.
The news fans feared became official: Austin Riley is heading to the IL. The injury, suffered on a diving play over the weekend against the Reds, sidelines one of the few consistent power threats in the Atlanta order. Riley's .260/.309/.428 slash line, 16 homers, and 54 RBI will be nearly impossible to replace. His absence completely changes the complexion of the lineup and puts even more pressure on an already underperforming offense.
Monday's game started with a bang and ended with a whimper, a perfect microcosm of the Braves' season. Jurickson Profar launched a leadoff home run, his fourth of the year, to give Atlanta an immediate 1-0 lead. And then... nothing. The offense managed just two more hits for the rest of the night against Brewers starter Quinn Priester, who was otherwise untouchable over seven dominant innings. Erick Fedde pitched reasonably well, but a single mistake—a three-run homer by rookie Isaac Collins in the fourth—was all it took to seal the Braves' fate. Stranding six runners and watching Ozzie Albies' five-game hitting streak end only added to the frustration.
With Riley out, the Braves turned to their farm system for depth. Infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas were recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill the void. Alvarez Jr. has already seen brief MLB action this year, showcasing defensive flexibility, while Ornelas brings speed and experience from his time in the Rangers organization. These moves signal a clear shift in focus for the front office: the rest of this season is about evaluation and seeing which young players can be part of the solution moving forward. To make room, Jarred Kelenic was optioned back to Gwinnett.
While the Riley news stings, there's a sliver of positive news from the training room. Reliever Joe Jiménez is progressing from his left knee surgery and could be back in the bullpen sometime this month, which would be a welcome boost. On the other end of the spectrum, top pitching prospect AJ Smith-Shawver's recovery from Tommy John surgery continues, but he remains out for the season with no expected return until 2026 at the earliest, a stark reminder of the long-term challenges the pitching staff faces.
The loss to the Brewers drops the Braves to a season-low 17 games under .500. With Austin Riley now on the shelf, the focus for the remainder of 2025 has fully shifted from competing to evaluating. The next two months will be a crucial test for the team's young depth and a chance for players like Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas to prove they belong. The immediate challenge is finding a way to generate any offense against Milwaukee and avoid digging an even deeper hole.
