BREAKING: Austin Riley Leaves Series Finale Vs Mets With ‘Left Side Tightness’

The Atlanta Braves are getting beat up tonight. 

Not from a scoring perspective, mind you – it’s tied 1-1 in the 5th inning as we’re writing this. 

But from a physical and health perspective, however, Atlanta’s taking some hits. 

Third baseman Austin Riley has been lifted from tonight’s game with what the team is calling “left-side tightness”. On video replay, it looks to stem from his final swing in the third inning, when he struck out on an elevated fastball from New York Mets Mets starter Luis Severino. 

EDIT: Manager Brian Snitker told ESPN’s Buster Olney that Riley felt some minor tightness during batting practice and after it popped back up in that at-bat, they “didn’t want to take any chances.”

Riley, 28, entered tonight’s game batting .241/.317/.386 with three homers and 18 RBIs. Mired in a bit of a slump as he exited April, Riley has turned it on a bit in the month of May, going .300/.382/.467 with a homer and a triple entering tonight, driving in four and scoring six runs. 

Riley’s also flashed significant strides to his defense at third base, prompting conversation of this finally being his year to beat St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado for his first career Gold Glove award. 

The team mentioned the exit being precautionary in nature; the Braves roster is currently without catcher Sean Murphy, who left the team’s season-opening matchup with an oblique injury, one that still has him on the shelf almost two months later. 

Riley’s potential injury is not the only physical blow to a Braves position player tonight. Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. took a foul ball off of his own foot earlier in the contest. He was checked out by trainers and appeared to be limping slightly on an inning-ending groundout, but remained in the game.