ATLANTA — When Travis d’Arnaud told Atlanta Braves officials that he had a good night of rest after leaving Friday’s game with dizziness and a head contusion, it was a most welcome development for the team and its veteran catcher, one of their most essential players considering his role on the field and as a clubhouse leader.
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That d’Arnaud would not need to go on the seven-day concussion list was especially good news for the Braves considering they still are without injured catcher Sean Murphy, who’s been sidelined since Opening Day, and third baseman Austin Riley, who hasn’t played since straining his left side Sunday and might have to join him on the injured list.
Riley hasn’t been cleared to swing a bat because there’s lingering soreness in the intercostal muscle at the bottom of his rib cage and said Saturday he wasn’t sure if he’d be ready to play during a three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs that starts Tuesday. The team will consider putting him on the 10-day IL if it lingers much longer.
The Braves got a break of sorts when Saturday night’s game against the San Diego Padres was postponed by rain and rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader Monday. It meant they wouldn’t need to press d’Arnaud into duty in an emergency Saturday if catcher Chadwick Tromp had to leave the game, and provided another day for Riley to heal.
“We hoped he’d turn a corner here sooner, but if he doesn’t then we’re going to have to make a decision,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Riley on Saturday afternoon, before the game was postponed.
Sunday’s pitching matchup has the Braves’ Bryce Elder facing Yu Darvish, which was the planned Saturday matchup before the postponement. The Braves will start Reynaldo López in Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader at 12:20 p.m., and Chris Sale in the 6:20 p.m. game. The Padres will start Dylan Cease and Randy Vásquez, the order undetermined as of Saturday night.
Tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres has been postponed due to inclement weather. We had been hopeful that we would find conditions suitable to play; however, after further consultation with the weather service, radar indicates unsuitable conditions for starting the game.…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 19, 2024
Although d’Arnaud passed concussion tests Friday, the Braves were going to err on the side of caution with the 35-year-old catcher, who’s had four concussions in his career including one 13 months ago. They were fully prepared to place him on the concussion IL. It was an obvious relief when he said he felt good Saturday morning.
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“Yeah, because we weren’t sure,” Snitker said. “I mean, he checked out good (Friday) night, but when they wake up … it’s kind of how they get through the night.”
Before the rain postponement, Snitker said the Braves would avoid using d’Arnaud in games Saturday and Sunday unless he was needed to finish a game in an emergency. The team had determined d’Arnaud was capable of playing in such a situation.
Even with 2023 All-Star catcher Murphy still on the IL recovering from an oblique strain — he’s expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday — the Braves would’ve put 2022 All-Star d’Arnaud on the concussion IL if he’d had any lingering dizziness. That would’ve made a roster move necessary, and the Braves might’ve brought veteran catcher Sandy León from Triple A.
But after d’Arnaud talked to head trainer George Poulis on Saturday morning, team officials discussed and decided d’Arnaud could play this weekend if necessary.
“George called and said he had a good night,” Snitker said. “So, they felt good about him if the need arose, that he’d be able to catch.”
Austin Riley was batting .313 in May before injuring his left side. (John Jones / USA Today)
The news wasn’t as encouraging regarding Riley, who continues to improve, but in increments slower than expected.
“For me it’s been a weird one, because it didn’t really feel all that serious,” said Riley about when the injury occurred. “I’ve never had anything with my oblique or side, so I didn’t really know how to gauge it or how to feel about it. Just trying to lean on them as much as possible and do everything they say to try to get back on the field.”
Asked if the specific soreness was still there beneath the lower rib, Riley said, “It’s kind of moved on to more of like a big stretch now, is kind of how I’m describing it. I still notice it, but it’s not a pain anymore, it’s more like a firm stretch. Like I said, just listen to what they have to say and kind of go from there.”
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If Riley doesn’t get better soon, Snitker indicated the Braves would have to put him on the IL rather than continue to play short-handed. That’s something they didn’t envision when he left Sunday’s game at New York with what they believed to be a minor issue that wouldn’t keep Riley out of the lineup for more than a few days. Otherwise they would’ve IL’d him then.
“We’re just waiting every day,” Snitker said. “I know he still feels it, kind of a shadow in there. Until it’s gone, they’re not going to let him swing. So, we’ll just keep talking about it.”
Riley did some pregame fielding drills Saturday afternoon, some of the “Wash drills” that he and other infielders used to do with former infield instructor Ron Washington and now with third-base coach and co-infield instructor Matt Tuiasosopo. But he only did the drills where he was on his knees fielding from close range, not where he was on his feet moving and reaching.
“I feel like I’m slowly but surely getting there,” Riley said. “Still feeling it a little bit in certain areas and certain movements, but I definitely feel like I’m trending in the right direction. So, just continue to do what I can with the training staff to try to get as right as possible before we get going.”
IL stints can be backdated only three days, so not making the move at that time could cause Riley to miss more time than necessary if he goes on the IL now.
Riley felt the tightness in his side on a swing when he struck out in Sunday’s game against the Mets, after feeling it some earlier that day during batting practice but not saying anything about it at the time. Because he was injured while swinging a bat, the Braves are being mindful and not clearing him to swing a bat again until there’s no soreness.
“Where it is and how it happened, I guess that’s going to be, for me, the tell-all — the swinging,” Riley said. “Just trying to make sure that I’m fully there and ready before we get to that. Because you definitely don’t want to rush it and re-injure it, and next thing you know you’re out two months.
“So, just trying to make sure we get this thing right and don’t have to revisit it again, then we can put it behind us.”
(Top photo of Travis d’Arnaud: John Adams / Icon Sportswire via Associated Press)
David O'Brien is a senior writer covering the Atlanta Braves for The Athletic. He previously covered the Braves for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and covered the Marlins for eight seasons, including the 1997 World Series championship. He is a two-time winner of the NSMA Georgia Sportswriter of the Year award. Follow David on Twitter @DOBrienATL
