Austin Riley makes honest statement after Braves benching
Atlanta Braves star Austin Riley will sit Thursday against the Washington Nationals after a rough Mets series, calling the move a mental break. Manager Walt Weiss said struggling players sometimes need to watch from the bench, while Mauricio Dubón starts at third.
Key Takeaways
- Austin Riley is out of the Braves lineup Thursday versus Washington after going 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts against the Mets.
- Riley told 680 The Fan the day off is "more of a mental break" after three poor games on the road.
- Weiss said sitting can help a struggling hitter "slow the game down" and see it is not as hard as it feels.
- Riley is batting .212/.290/.344 over 108 games, his lowest marks since his 2019 rookie season.
- Mauricio Dubón is starting at third base; the Braves remain first in the NL East at 63-45.
The news landed ahead of a four-game set at Truist Park, with Atlanta looking to rebound after dropping two of three to the Mets at Citi Field. For more celebrity breaking news, follow the latest around star athletes under pressure.
Why did the Braves bench Austin Riley?
Riley's recent slide forced the lineup change. Per Sports Illustrated, he finished 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts in New York. Over his last five games he was 1-for-18 with 12 strikeouts, one walk, and no runs or RBIs.
CBS Sports noted he is just 6-for-37 with a 2-to-20 walk-to-strikeout mark over his last 10 games, even after heating up around the All-Star break. Weiss has started tweaking the order, and the highest-paid Brave draws the night off.
What did Austin Riley say about the day off?
Asked by Barrett Sallee on 680 The Fan whether the seat was a mental break after the road trip, Riley answered frankly. "Yeah, I think so," he said. "I mean, obviously, I think it was more or less of the last three games. Obviously, they weren't good… just more of a mental break."
The third baseman is in his eighth MLB season, all with Atlanta. He entered the Nationals series batting .212 with 83 hits, 12 home runs, 50 RBIs, 43 runs, and seven stolen bases in 108 games.
How is Walt Weiss handling Riley's slump?
Weiss still trusts what he sees. "Austin's been relentlessly trying to work through these things, and at times there have been really good signs," he said Thursday, pointing to hard contact and homers on the last homestand and solid swings in Baltimore before the Mets series went south.
"When guys are struggling, sometimes the best way to slow the game down is to have them watch it from the bench," Weiss added. "Then they realize that it's not as difficult as they're making it."
Thursday's order features Drake Baldwin leading off, Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Dubón, Dom Smith, Mike Yastrzemski, and Jim Jarvis, with Grant Holmes opposing Washington's Jake Irvin. Atlanta's season hopes still lean on Riley producing down the stretch.