Atlanta — The Atlanta Braves received a mix of relief and caution this Wednesday regarding the health of their star Ronald Acuña Jr., who had to leave Tuesday's game against the Royals due to physical discomfort.
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After undergoing an MRI, the results showed a
Grade 1 strain in the right calf, which, according to initial estimates, could keep him out of action for between
two and three weeks. The team officially placed him on the
10-day injured list and called up outfielder
Jarred Kelenic as a replacement.
“It bothered him a little, but he wanted to keep playing,” explained manager Brian Snitker. “When he went to get the ball near the line and then went to the hole, I thought: ‘He's going to end up making this worse.’”
Minor injury, but not without worry
Acuña set off alarms on Monday when he felt discomfort while scoring from first base after a double by
Austin Riley, in a play that occurred after he hit an imposing
468-foot home run. Although he insisted on playing on Tuesday, in the sixth inning he was seen limping while chasing a hit by
Bobby Witt Jr. and then failing on a play on a double by
Vinnie Pasquantino.
Despite jogging on his own off the field —which generated some relief— his serious and worried expression during the subsequent interview made it clear that it was not a simple scare.
“I was hoping they wouldn't bat in my direction and, as always happens, the ball ended up going towards me,” Acuña recounted.
Injury History
Concern grows due to the Venezuelan's medical history: he
tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in 2021 and his left in 2024. Despite these setbacks, Acuña has made an impressive comeback this year, batting for a
.306 average, with
14 home runs and an
OPS of 1.006 in 55 games since his season debut on
May 23.
The medical team and the coaching staff of the Braves will continue to evaluate his daily progress, hoping to have him back as soon as possible without risking a relapse.
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