Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones sent an Austin Riley message as his struggles in 2026 continue.
The Atlanta Braves have been one of the best teams in baseball entering this weekend’s series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. At 26-12, they sit in first place in the National League East and are tied for the best record in the majors. The roster has performed at a high level, and the Braves look every bit like a contender again after missing out on postseason play in 2025.
That does not mean everything has gone perfectly. Third baseman Austin Riley is in the middle of one of the toughest stretches of his career. He is batting just .203 with a .277 on base percentage, .626 OPS, five home runs and 22 RBIs across 38 games.
While it is encouraging that he has been fully available after dealing with injuries the past two seasons, including season-ending core surgery in 2025 and a broken right hand in 2024, his production has not matched the expectations of his 10-year, $212 million extension that runs through 2032.
Braves legend Chipper Jones, however, is not concerned. When asked during a radio appearance what is wrong with Riley, Jones offered support and perspective. “We have talked a little bit. I went down last homestand and just had a talk to him, and I really wanted to just kind of see where his head was at. And he is pretty frustrated, but overall he says he is happy with his approach," Jones said.
"He is getting pitches that he is looking for and just missing them. And we always go through periods during the course of the season. It is big right now because it is at the beginning of the season and he is coming off a season where he was hurt. And I really cannot say anything if he thinks his approach is good and he is just missing pitches. He is not going to miss those pitches all year," he continued
Hearing that from a Hall of Famer and the greatest player in franchise history carries weight. Jones has long been a mentor to Riley, and his confidence in the 29-year-old could help spark a turnaround.
Riley is now in his eighth season with Atlanta after being selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He has been an All-Star, a Silver Slugger and a key part of the 2021 World Series title run. The track record is too strong to ignore.
He will look to begin his rebound this weekend against the Dodgers in a matchup that always brings out the best in Atlanta.