WASHINGTON -- Braves third baseman Austin Riley never stopped making his case to be an All-Star -- and now he is one.
Riley was named to the National League team Saturday morning after St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado opted out to rest his sore back.
“Definitely excited. That’s about as plain and simple as you can put it,” Riley said before Atlanta’s game in Washington. “It’s something that you look forward to and try to accomplish, and to be going, I’m super thankful.”
Riley extended his hitting streak to 11 games Friday night and is hitting .424 with eight homers and 17 RBIs in his last 16 games. He has five homers in his past seven games.
While five other Braves were initially named to the National League team, Riley became part of the “biggest All-Star snubs” discussion.
“To me, it’s something out of my control. I’m just going out there playing my game,” Riley said of the debate. “My biggest thing at the end of the day is helping the team win any way I can and let stuff like this take care of itself.”
Now he’ll join a National League team that includes Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., catcher Travis d’Arnaud, catcher/designated hitter William Contreras and pitcher Max Fried.
“Pretty cool. That was a nice conversation,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of talking to Riley about his selection. “If anybody’s deserving to be an All-Star it’s him, so good to see the left side of that infield is going to be represented with the Braves.”
Riley, 25, leads the National League in total bases (201) and ranks second in homers (26) and third in OPS (.913).
“He’s going to be a perennial All-Star, I think now,” Snitker said. “There’s two other really good third basemen in the league [All-Stars Arenado and Manny Machado of the Padres], that’s for sure, but he’s right there with those guys. He’s in the same conversation both offensively and defensively.”