Urshela signs MLB deal with Atlanta as Riley hits IL
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ATLANTA -- Austin Riley can’t be replaced. But Gio Urshela is going to try to help the Braves compensate for the absence of their third baseman.
Urshela traveled to Atlanta on Monday night and signed a Major League contract on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after it was announced Riley will miss the remainder of the regular season with a broken right hand.
"I'm really excited about this," Urshela said. "I'm happy to be here to help this team with their postseason run."
The Braves placed Riley on the 10-day injured list and created a 40-man roster spot for Urshela by transferring A.J. Minter to the 60-day injured list. The latter move provides confirmation that Minter will also miss the remainder of the regular season after undergoing left hip surgery this week.
Urshela, 32, was released by the Tigers on Sunday after hitting .243 with five homers and a .619 OPS over 92 games for Detroit this season. His release provided the Tigers a chance to look at some of their infield prospects over the season's final six weeks.
"I think we're very fortunate a guy like that was available," Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Without any strong internal options, the Braves opted to take a chance on Urshela. The veteran produced above average offensively (119 OPS+) while playing for the Yankees and Twins from 2019-22. He hit .299 with a .703 OPS in the 62 games he played for the Angels before suffering a season-ending pelvic fracture last year.
Riley fractured his hand on Sunday, when he was hit by Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz’s 97 mph fastball. Initial tests were inconclusive. But a sense of doom seemed to exist even before the veteran slugger returned to Atlanta to undergo the MRI exam on Monday.
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Riley hit .256 with 19 homers and a .783 OPS this year. He missed two weeks in May with an oblique strain and never really got going until the middle of June. He hit .292 with 16 homers and a .942 OPS over his final 57 regular-season games. This injury ended his bid for a fourth straight 30-homer season.