After being hit by a pitch Sunday afternoon, Braves third basement Austin Riley underwent an MRI on Monday, it was revealed that he had a significant fracture in his right hand. The organization reported that the injury would likely put Riley out for six to eight weeks, meaning he would not be ready until the playoffs.
Luckily, the same day of the injury, the Detroit Tigers released their third baseman, Gio Urshela, giving them a great option to bring in and replace Riley. Urshela has been extremely reliable this season batting .241 with 5 home runs, 38 RBIs, and an OPS of .616.
Braves manager Brian Snitker spoke on the move to scoop up Urshela, “You go back and look and he’s been a very productive major leaguer… it’s [a] great opportunity for him, and I think we’re very fortunate that a guy like that was available.”
Fortunate indeed, Urshela has already made a positive impact in Atlanta. In his first game in a Brave’s uniform Tuesday night, he took a walk that forced in a run and scored 3-1, which ended up being the final in their win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Urshela is laser-focused on continuing to help the Braves win games in their march to the postseason. He said, “We’ve got like a month to go now, you’ve got to focus on this one and then think about the playoffs.”
He will appear in his second game as a Brave tonight when they take on the Phillies again at 7:20 p.m. EST.