The injury-plagued have sustained another major blow, announcing Monday that third baseman will mi s at least the rest of the regular season after breaking his right hand. Riley was struck Sunday by a 97 mph fastball from starter in the first inning Reggie Bullock Jersey of Atlanta's victory. An MRI confirmed the fracture. Riley will mi s six to eight weeks, which knocks him out through the regular season and likely into the playoffs should the Braves qualify. Atlanta held a two-game lead over the for the final wild-card spot heading into a three-game series against the NL East-leading that begins . The Braves have won six straight division titles, but that streak is in jeopardy after a rash of injuries left the team seven games behind the Phillies. A wild-card spot seems the most likely path to a seventh straight postseason appearance, with Atlanta holding a two-game lead over the New York Mets for the final spot. Atlanta already lost NL MVP and pitching ace to season-ending injuries. Several other key players, including second baseman , center fielder II and catcher , have mi sed major time. This is the second significant setback for Riley, who has 19 homers and 56 RBIs in 110 games. He sat for two weeks in May with a strained muscle near his rib cage. Now, he's dealing with a much more serious i sue, leaving the Braves with a big hole in their lineup. The trade deadline has pa sed, and they don't have many viable options in their organization to fill the void. Riley hit 37 homers last season. He has 153 homers for Atlanta since his big league debut in 2019. , who is just 2 of 17 on the season, took over Sunday at third base after Riley was injured, but hardly seems like a full-time option. The Braves could move , currently filling in at second base for Albies, over to third and give another shot to top prospect . But Alvarez was just 3 for 30 as the first choice to replace Albies, leading the Braves to return him to Triple-A Gwinnett. The team did get some good news on the injury front, announcing that has been recalled from his rehab a signment to start the series opener against the Phillies. The right-hander, who is 7-4 with a 2.06 ERA and made the All-Star Game for the first time, last pitched July 28 against the Mets. He was lifted after three innings and went on the injured list with forearm inflammation. The Braves optioned reliever to Triple-A to make room for Lpez. Reporting by The A sociated Pre s. [Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? .] FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Atlanta Braves Austin Riley Elfrid Payton Jersey