On Friday evening, the Atlanta Braves will open up a series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in California.
The Braves are off to an incredible start to the season.
That said, Austin Riley has had his struggles, as he is currently batting .203 with 43 strikeouts.
Chipper Jones Makes Honest Statement About Riley
GettyAustin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves reacts to a strike out during the MLB game at Chase Field on April 27, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
On Thursday, Braves legend Chipper Jones did an interview with 92.9 The Game.
They asked Jones about Riley.
Jones: “We’ve talked a little bit. I went down last home stand and just had a talk to him… I really wanted to just kind of see where his head was at. He’s pretty frustrated, but overall, he says he’s happy with his approach. He’s getting pitches that he’s looking for and just missing them. We always go through periods during the course of the season. It’s big right now because it’s at the beginning of the season… He’s not gonna miss those pitches all year… Still way too much swing and miss for everybody’s liking… Hopefully, he’ll bounce back out of that in a big way here pretty soon.”
Riley has spent all eight seasons of his career with the Braves.
The two-time All-Star helped lead the franchise to the 2021 World Series Championship.
That said, the Braves will need to see him return to form if they want to make a deep run in October.
He is also in the middle of a big contract.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote (on August 1, 2022): “Third baseman Austin Riley and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a 10-year, $212 million contract extension, the Braves announced.”
In 2023, Riley batted .281 with 179 hits, 37 home runs and 97 RBI’s in 159 games.
Braves Right Now
GettyManager Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves argues a call with umpire Bill Miller #26 in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 3, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.
The Braves are the top team in the National League East with a 26-12 record in 38 games.
They are 14-6 in the 20 games they have played on the road away from Truist Park in Georgia.
After three games against the Dodgers, the Braves will play their next series on Tuesday when they return home to host the Chicago Cubs.
Last season, the Braves missed the MLB playoffs for the first time in seven years.
Chipper Jones Makes Honest Statement About Struggling Atlanta Braves Player