Slim pickings: Braves first Austin Riley solution leaves way too much to be desired

The Atlanta Braves appeared poised to win another NL East title and make a run at another World Series win entering the 2024 campaign, but the baseball gods appear to have it out for them. Injuries have run rampant, and Austin Riley is the latest example of that.

The star third baseman is out for the next six to eight weeks after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. This is a crucial blow for a Braves team that was already underperforming offensively and will now have to survive without their second-best hitter for the last couple of months.

Replacing Riley, especially after the trade deadline, is impossible. The Braves had options like going with Luke Williams, their backup infielder on the MLB roster, or even Nacho Alvarez, one of their top prospects, once he got healthy, but instead, went the predictable route of signing Gio Urshela to an MLB deal according to Joel Sherman of the NY Post.

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Gio Urshela signing was predictable, but uninspiring

Signing Urshela to play over guys like Williams and Alvarez is a no-brainer. He has a track record of being a solid MLB third baseman, especially defensively. This season, though, has been a bit of a struggle for the 32-year-old.

He signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers this past offseason in a move that was mostly applauded, but in 92 games he has an underwhelming .243/.286/.333 slash line with five home runs and 37 RBI. Urshela has never been a big power bat, but the career .273 hitter has seen his batting average plummet this season, leading to his disappointing 73 OPS+ output in a Tigers uniform.

Perhaps a change of scenery will help Urshela, as he'd be going from a Tigers team out of postseason contention to a Braves team right in the thick of it. Just last year he hit .299 in 62 games for a Los Angeles Angels team that was actually competitive before suffering an unfortunate season-ending injury.

He's undoubtedly a better option right now than the likes of Williams and Alvarez, and comes at a cheap cost. With that being said, though, signing a 32-year-old who is having his worst season by far since 2018 is less than ideal. Even a guy like Amed Rosario would've been much better if the Braves had a chance to claim him. The Urshela addition is something, but it's not a move to get overly excited about. Hopefully, Riley can find a way to get back sooner rather than later.