On Sunday, the Atlanta Braves finished their series with the Cincinnati Reds in Ohio.
They lost by a score of 6-4 (but still won two out of three).
Austin Riley finished with one RBI in three at-bats.
Buster Olney Makes Brutally Honest Comment On Braves Star
GettyAustin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates after scoring a run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 29, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Riley (who is a two-time All-Star) has struggled this season.
On Monday, ESPN’s Buster Olney spoke about Riley (via 680 The Fan).
Olney: “It’s interesting because he’s one of those guys where when you talk to evaluators, you get the feedback of, man, his timing is just off and he looks like that he is just flailing at the plate and just overaggressive sometimes and he’s not seeing the ball very well… It’s almost like he just can’t get traction that lasts… Some of his at-bats have just been non-competitive.”
Riley is in his eighth season (all with the Braves).
He is currently batting .209 with 46 hits, eight home runs, 32 RBI’s, 30 runs and three stolen basses in 60 games.
Social Media Reacts To Riley’s Struggles
GettyAustin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after grounding out in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Here’s what people have been saying about Riley:
@master_yoshi013: “The World Series was 5 years ago. Austin Riley hasn’t been THAT guy since 2023. It’s not so much that he’s not playing okay to good baseball. It’s the fact he’s signed for 10 years to play GREAT baseball, something he hasn’t done regularly for 2+ years now.”
@CrosbyBaseball: “Austin Riley won’t get credit for a hit here, but he did his job: This 105.4 mph sac fly scored a run for Atlanta. (Dang this ball carried – 355 feet in total)”
@elicoleman85: “Austin Riley has really struggled vs LHP fastball/changeup lately. 2 for 13 with 8 strikeouts. In his L8, he’s 0/6 with 6 K and 2 BB. He’s currently +117 for 2+ strikeouts.”
Braves Right Now
GettyManager Walt Weiss #4 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during batting practice prior to facing the Kansas City Royals in the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Braves are the top team in the National League East with a 40-20 record in 60 games.
They are 6-4 over their last ten games.
On Tuesday night, the Braves will host the Toronto Blue Jays.
ESPN Reporter Makes Honest Comment On Atlanta Braves Star Austin Riley