Braves 3B Austin Riley leaves game with left side strain

Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley left the Braves’ game Sunday night against the New York Mets because of a strain on his left side.

Riley was replaced by Zack Short in the bottom of the fourth inning. Braves manager Brian Snitker, interviewed on the ESPN broadcast, said Riley felt slight discomfort during batting practice and again when he took his swing out at third.

“We’re not going to take any chances,” Snitker said.

Batting third in the lineup, Riley singled with two outs in the first. He is hitting .245 with three homers and 18 RBIs this season.

The two-time All-Star has finished sixth or seventh in the NL MVP standings each of the last three years. He hit .281 with 37 home runs, 97 RBIs and an .861 OPS last season, winning his second Silver Slugger award.

Short, who started the season with the Mets, made his debut with the Braves after being acquired Thursday from Boston for cash. He drew a walk from Luis Severino in the sixth and scored to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead.

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