Atlanta Braves Third Baseman Austin Riley Reflects on Postseason Push Following Dental Emergency
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley endured a turbulent regular season that included a sudden dental emergency, career-low offensive production, and a late September power surge.
Riley’s week took an unexpected turn on Sunday in a Houston hotel when an intense toothache woke him around 5 a.m. CT. The Braves arranged a dental visit, but staffing issues prevented the procedure. Later that day, biting into a sandwich at Daikin Park triggered severe pain. Braves head athletic trainer George Poulis arranged a second appointment where a dentist completed an emergency root canal. Riley returned to the stadium in time to join his teammates in celebrating the NL East division clinching.
“My face was half numb, but it was all good,” Riley said. When asked if he would recommend starting every postseason week with an emergency root canal, he added, “No, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
Offensive Struggles and Statistical Breakdown
The dental procedure added a literal pain to a season already marked by frustration at the plate. Riley produced career lows in both batting average (.222) and OPS (.662) while setting a franchise single-season record with 197 strikeouts. Two of those strikeouts came on Friday night at loanDepot park during a 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins, where Eury Pérez pitched a one-hit shutout.
Despite the high strikeout totals, Riley found more success during the second half of the season. He hit four home runs in his final 18 regular-season games, leaving him one shy of reaching the 20-homer mark—a notable recovery after hitting just nine homers through his first 95 games of the year. From 2021 to 2023, Riley posted three consecutive 30-homer seasons.
“I don’t even look at [the stats] anymore,” Riley said. “At this point, it’s about, ‘What can I do today, and what can I do going forward?’”
First-Half Versus Second-Half Splits
- Pre-All-Star Break: .207 batting average, 9 home runs (38.1 at-bats per home run), .618 OPS, 29.4% strikeout rate.
- Post-All-Star Break: .247 batting average, 10 home runs (21.5 at-bats per home run), .734 OPS, 35.6% strikeout rate.
- September: .222 batting average, 4 home runs (18 at-bats per home run), .695 OPS, 32.9% strikeout rate.
Mindset and Mechanical Adjustments
Weighed down by video analysis and analytical data throughout the year, Riley focused on simplifying his swing and his mindset. Recognizing that his swing had grown robotic, he identified a mechanical flaw last weekend when he noticed his right shoulder felt tense and pointed inward during his stance.
Over the final week of the regular season, Riley concentrated on keeping his shoulder loose to prevent pushing or flipping the bat through the zone awkwardly, striving for a more natural swing.
“I definitely think this is the most confident I’ve been in a while with some of [the] cues and with some of the swings I’ve taken,” Riley said.
Braves manager Walt Weiss expressed confidence in the slugger’s steady demeanor regardless of his offensive results. “Austin’s great,” Weiss said. “You never know if he’s had an MVP season or if he’s struggling. He’s the same guy. I know, obviously, he’s been working really hard all year to try to turn things around, and I think he’s trending the right way.”
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