The Athletic Investigating Vrabel Photos, Dianna Russini Sidelined During Probe

Dianna Russini has been put on ice ... her employer, The Athletic, is doing a deep dive into the cozy pics of Mike Vrabel and the reporter, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

It's an about-face for the NY Times-owned outlet, which initially vehemently came to the defense of Russini, calling the pics "misleading" and saying they lacked "essential context."

But, sources tell us based on new information, the outlet is conducting a thorough investigation ... and with it, they've decided to shelf Russini as the process plays out.

The situation was described to us like this ... "[Dianna's] coverage is being reviewed. That process is expected to take time. She will not be reporting in the interim."

Of course, Page Six posted photos showing Vrabel and Russini at a boutique resort in Arizona in late-March ... raising enormous suspicion about the nature of their relationship.

Both are married with children.

The reporter and Patriots head coach almost immediately denied any wrongdoing.

“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day," Russini said. "Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”

The Pats HC was even more forceful, saying ... “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”

The attempt to quell the story didn't work, and with Russini's outlet and her boss Steven Ginsberg publicly coming to her defense after her denial, she may have made things even worse for herself.

Page Six first reported Russini wouldn't be working for The Athletic during the investigation.