Austin Riley May Be Next Braves Star to Have 2nd Half Comeback Tour

It's one game. Maybe you can stretch it out to say it's been only a handful of games. No conclusions are going to be drawn. However, it was a game that Austin Riley needed more than arguably anybody else on this team.

The Atlanta Braves' third baseman had a multi-home run game en route to a win over the Texas Rangers. It was his second multi-home run game of the season, with his first back on April 17.

His first of the game was launched. He pulled one to left field that landed in the Hank Aaron Terrace, located in the second deck. The second one went to center field, just clearing the wall over the deepest part of the park.

For good measure, he cashed in with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, singling in two to extend the Braves' lead.

On the day, he finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.

For those who have been waiting to see if he can turn the corner, it was a sight for sore eyes. He's had his major injuries. He's had his serious slumps with little moments sprinkled in.

These are the games a ballplayer needs for a boost. Look at it this way: A resurgence has to start somewhere. Sunday, which featured a performance not seen from him in a long time, makes for a notable starting point.

When the All-Star break arrived, Riley said he took the time to mentally reset and spend time with his kids. That's not to say work hasn't been getting put in, in general, but he took the chance to have his mind elsewhere.

"I think it's important psychologically, mentally, emotionally, all those things that wear on you in this game," manager Walt Weiss said. "It's a bit of a reset. It's not completely a clean slate, but it feels somewhat like that psychologically."

While the reset helps, Weiss didn't want it to take away from the fact that Riley has been batting to try to flip the switch.

"He's been putting work in too, man," he added. "I means been grinding at this since April, you know, trying to get it right."

For Riley, he said it wasn't one thing, but a combination of things that he's been trying to iron out. He highlighted his lower half, but he also emphasized the muscle memory he's trying to build up.

"You can do the right moves in the cage, and everything looks right, and you get out there, you'll face 100, and it's tough to repeat those movements without thinking about them," Riley said.

With more muscle memory, there is more emphasis on what the pitcher is doing and not what he's doing. The results from that work can prove to be satisfying, even after a single big game.

"It's like swinging at a good pitch. One and two," Riley said. "It's like being on time for it and knowing, like you said, the mechanics and stuff were there without truly having to think about anything and then showing up where you want it to. It's the best feeling."

While Riley had himself a good series coming back from the break, the seeds appeared to be planted right before. Has at least one hit with an exit velocity of over 100 mph in five of his last six games since July 10, and is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with six runs scored, six RBIs and a 1.290 OPS in that stretch.

There is something there. Time will tell if this stretches into something more.

Like Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies, there is hope in the Braves' clubhouse that it's Riley's turn to have the big official second half. It's that second half that segways to All-Star or All-Star-caliber seasons the following year.

At the very least, they provide encouraging examples to him that it can be done. In time, you can get to the other side and rediscover what put you on the map.

Riley is certainly someone that has his team behind in to see if he can make it happen.

"You pull everybody, but you pull for guys like Austin Riley," Weiss said. "Because he's the ultimate teammate. The ultimate pro. I mean, he's a great human being. You really want to see those guys do well, and you like when those guys work through things, and the game rewards them."

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