As we near the All-Star Break, there is no denying that the Atlanta Braves' biggest offensive frustration has been Austin Riley. The infielder has hovered around the Mendoza line for the entire first half, looking like a ghost of the power hitter that once helped anchor the middle of Atlanta's lineup. The Braves have pulled out all the stops to try to put the veteran back on track, including extra rest, working with franchise legend Chipper Jones, and moving the third baseman further down in the team's order.
Nothing has worked, as Riley is hitting .208 and has only been offered nine home runs. So much has been written about what Atlanta might do to put the slugger back on track or what drastic moves might be on the table. In truth, there is nothing that the franchise can do from here but continue to exercise patience and hope that Riley works his way out of a season long slump.
For Riley, there is no question that his career suggests that this is the outlier, and he will at some point return to being a productive hitter. Where things grow a bit more difficult is understanding that this was true two months ago and that nothing has changed, with Riley continuing to put together frustrating at-bats.
Braves Have no Option but to Continue to Exercise Patience with Austin Riley
Riley's contract situation offers no viable path out of the current situation, and it isn't as if the Braves have another option currently rostered. Third base is in the hands of Riley, and that is going to continue to be the case no matter whether or not this is the version of the hitter that the lineup gets moving forward.
A lot of the frustration and pressure around Riley will ease when Ronald Acuna Jr. is able to return to the lineup and make the group far deeper. The absence of the 2023 MVP has shone a light on team frustrations with Riley and how little depth the Braves have in comparison to the start of the season and what expectations were when it comes to Riley helping anchor the middle of the lineup.
Atlanta is out of potential answers and simply has to sit back and hope that Riley can play his way out of what has been one of the longest slumps we've seen from such an accomplished hitter. Perhaps the break will serve as a needed reset and allow Riley to turn back the clock to the productive offensive option the veteran has previously been in his career.
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