Michael Barkann and Ben Davis discuss the Phillies’ huge upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves suffered yet another massive injury just before the Phillies arrived in Atlanta Sunday night, losing slugging third baseman Austin Riley for the rest of the regular season with a fracture in his right hand.
Riley will miss 6-to-8 weeks, the latest blow to a Braves team that has dealt with key injuries since Opening Day.
Catcher Sean Murphy strained his oblique in the season opener and missed two months.
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Ace Spencer Strider lasted two starts before spraining his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL just before Memorial Day.
Michael Harris II missed two months with a hamstring strain.
Ozzie Albies is out two months with a fractured wrist.
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Jorge Soler, who's been a productive power bat for the Braves since being acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, hasn't played since Wednesday because of a hamstring injury.
Max Fried missed three weeks in July with a forearm injury and so did Reynaldo Lopez. They're both back now with Lopez starting Tuesday and Fried Wednesday against the Phillies.
The irony is that Chris Sale, who hasn't pitched a full season since 2017, has stayed healthy and is the frontrunner to win the NL Cy Young award.
The Phils have dealt with impactful injuries as well — Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were on the IL for short stints the last time the Phillies faced the Braves July 2-4 — but certainly nothing that compares to what Atlanta has gone through in 2024. The equivalent would be the Phillies losing Zack Wheeler and Harper for the season, J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber for two months apiece and that's before even accounting for a Riley analogy.
Riley has been the toughest individual matchup in the career of Aaron Nola, who starts Wednesday. Riley's 23-for-63 (.365) against him with five doubles and six home runs. He's also a combined 8-for-18 with a triple and two homers against Cristopher Sanchez and Taijuan Walker, the two pitchers under consideration to start Thursday's series finale.
The Phillies hold a seven-game lead over the Braves and play them seven times in the next 13 days — three at Truist Park this week and four at Citizens Bank Park next Thursday through Sunday. The Phils have a real chance to bury an injury-ravaged Atlanta team, and if they do, it could impact the wild-card race with the Mets just 1½ games behind the Braves for the final playoff spot.