Austin Riley Injury Update: When Will 3B Return to Braves?

The Braves third baseman has been out since July 11 with an abdominal injury. How long will he be out?

Matt Burke

Last Updated: July 14, 2025 4:57 PM EDT • 2 minute read

Austin Riley Injury Update: When Will 3B Be Back and Return to Braves? — Pictured: Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) hits a three-run home run as we provide an Austin Riley injury update. Photo by Nick Turchiaro via Imagn Images.

Austin Riley had a scorching hot bat to start July, as he posted 13 hits in 10 games played during the month. A strained right abdomen has sidelined the Atlanta Braves third baseman, however. Braves fans and fantasy baseball owners are now wondering when Riley will return and be back in the Atlanta lineup.

Below, we will deliver an Austin Riley injury update and dish out an expected return date.

🚑 When will Austin Riley return and be back with Braves?

Riley had to leave a July 11 game against the St. Louis Cardinals after feeling discomfort in his right abdomen. The two-time MLB All-Star first felt irritation during the second inning while fielding a sacrifice bunt. It got worse when he was fielding a Willson Contreras grounder during the third inning.

“It’s a weird spot,” Riley said, via Joe Harris of MLB.com. “I make that play all the time and never have any issues, so I don’t really know what happened. I went through my normal routine of preparing, and feel like I do a good job of making sure I’m ready with hydration and all that stuff.”

This appears to be a mild abdominal strain, which usually takes only one to three weeks to recover from. The Braves, who have been ravaged by injury this season, catch something of a break with Riley, considering that the MLB All-Star break is this week.

He is eligible to return to the Braves lineup on July 22, but Atlanta will likely give him a couple of extra days to fully heal. Here are some projected dates in which Riley could potentially return.

Friday, July 25: Atlanta Braves at Texas Rangers
Saturday, July 26: Atlanta Braves at Texas Rangers
Sunday, July 27: Atlanta Braves at Texas Rangers
Monday, July 28: Atlanta Braves at Kansas City Royals
Tuesday, July 29: Atlanta Braves at Kansas City Royals
Wednesday, July 30: Atlanta Braves at Kansas City Royals
Thursday, July 31: Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati Reds

⏳ How long will Austin Riley be out for?

This is not projected to be a long-term injury for Riley. A decent comp is the abdominal strain that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge suffered in March 2024 - Judge sat out just nine days with the injury.

Moderate strains can keep baseball players out for as many as two months. Severe abdominal strains can keep players out for three to five months and can even require surgery. Again, Riley’s injury appears to be a mild one, and he should quickly recover.

💰 Braves betting

The Braves have not lived up to preseason expectations as they are currently under .500. Atlanta opened the season with the second-best World Series odds, owning a +800 price.

Baseball futures like World Series odds are available to bet on now at our best MLB betting sites. There are also player props and game lines on a daily basis.

Written by:
Matt Burke

Matt Burke is a veteran sports journalist with expertise in sports betting content. He is a former Evergreen Managing Editor. Prior to that, Matt founded MetroBet - a digital and print sports betting platform for Metro US Newspapers (now AMNY). He also served as the Executive Sports Editor for Metro Newspapers, which had outlets in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Matt has covered Super Bowls and Final Fours and his work has appeared in the past for Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, the Eagle Tribune, Gloucester Daily Times and Newburyport Daily News. Matt is a graduate of UConn (Go Huskies!), where he earned a degree in journalism. His favorite time of year to place bets is right before the start of the NFL season, where he can't help but sprinkle on every single team's season win total. He also enjoys live betting each and every NFL Sunday.