Braves place Austin Riley on paternity list, recall replacement

The Atlanta Braves have announced that they have placed third baseman Austin Riley on the paternity list and recalled infielder Luke Williams from Triple-A.

The #Brave Today INF Luke Williams was recalled to Atlanta and INF Austin Riley was placed on the paternity list.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 23, 2024

So, the Braves lose another key player, but this time it’s for a good reason. You can exhale now.

He is celebrating the birth of his second child. Riley left last night’s game in the ninth inning after learning his wife was going into labor.

According to Dave O’Brien, who covered the Braves game for The Athletic, he received high fives from his teammates as he left for the hospital.

Austin Riley left the game in the ninth inning because his wife went into labor. The Braves had someone waiting for the call and let him know in the top of the ninth, when he came out and high-fived his teammates on the way to the locker room and then to the hospital.

— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 23, 2024

Riley won’t be gone long; the maximum number of games a player can be on the paternity list is three. That means he’ll be back with the team in Queens on Friday for game two of the Braves’ four-game series with the New York Mets. The earliest he can be back is Wednesday. Once a player is on the paternity list, he must sit out at least one game.

By the time Riley gets back, Whit Merrifield could be ready too. He’s currently daily after a finger injury on Monday. The Braves would welcome the opportunity to have multiple experienced infielders back at once.

In 86 games this season, the two-time All-Star has a .255 batting average with 13 home runs, 40 RBIs and an OPS+ of 115.

Luke Williams, 27, has played in 12 games for the Braves this season. In 12 plate appearances, he has reached base twice — one walk and one hit. He has also served as a pinch runner at the end of the game.

The Braves return to action Tuesday night as they look to bounce back from a 4-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds and end a three-game losing streak. First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 p.m.