Braves mishandling of Austin Riley injury makes absolutely no sense

Austin Riley has missed 10 straight games with a left intercostal strain. Again, Riley is actually hurt, which is why he hasn't played of late. Yet, he remains on the roster. No, I am not sure why!

As the Braves struggle offensively with Riley on the bench, it's clear the lineup is missing its star third baseman, as Jacob Mountz of The House That Hank Built suggested:

"If the Braves are going to succeed against great teams this fall, they will likely need Riley’s bat in the lineup. Austin Riley may no longer be the most intriguing player on a star-studded team, but he has cemented himself as a leader in the clubhouse and as the Atlanta Braves’ irreplaceable third baseman. And with the current sturggles of the Braves offense, they need him back now more than ever," Mountz wrote.

Riley has started swinging a bat recently, so he should be back in the next few days. However, it begs the question as to why Riley wasn't placed on the injured list to begin with. There is a 10-day IL, after all! The Braves could have called up another infielder while shorthanded.

Why did the Atlanta Braves not place Austin Riley on the injured list?

Atlanta is a frontloaded group offensively. As impressive as their lineup is, the depth at certain positions isn't great. Third base is one of those spots, with Orlando Arcia and Luke Williams filling in behind Riley. Arcia is also the starting shortstop, so the last week-plus has been a bit of musical chairs in the infield.

The Braves offensive explosion behind Max Fried on Wednesday was an encouraging sign. It also speaks to what Atlanta is capable of when firing on all cylinders. If Riley can return to form, they should have the best lineup in baseball from top to bottom.

Atlanta's rotation has performed better than expected, even without Spencer Strider as their bonafide ace. When the lineup gets going -- and Braves fans should be confident in hitting their midsummer stride eventually -- this team will be scary.

In the meantime, they ought to embrace the roster flexibility that an IL stint can offer.