Atlanta Braves lose Ronald Acuña Jr to suspected hamstring injury
Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr is awaiting an MRI scan after exiting Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies with left hamstring tightness.
The 28-year-old was attempting to run out a ground ball in the second inning when he suddenly pulled up halfway down the base path.
After grabbing his left leg, the Venezuelan star was examined by medical staff before walking gingerly back to the dugout.
Eli White subsequently replaced the five-time All-Star in right field with the visitors holding an early 2-0 advantage in Denver.
Awaiting medical assessment
Braves manager Walt Weiss confirmed the full extent of the damage will remain unclear until imaging is completed over the weekend.
“We’ll see the severity of it,” Weiss said.
“I didn’t like the way it looked. Hopefully, if he is out, it’ll be short-term.”
Prior to his premature departure, the former National League MVP had hit a leadoff single and scored the opening run on a Drake Baldwin homer.
Recent injury history
Any prolonged absence would be a bitter blow for the dynamic outfielder following his extensive rehabilitation journey.
A torn ACL suffered in May 2024 limited him to a combined 144 appearances over the previous two campaigns.
Before this latest setback, he had featured in all 34 of Atlanta’s games this season and was hitting an impressive .381 over his last six outings.
Overall this campaign, he is batting .252 with two home runs, nine runs batted in, and a team-leading seven stolen bases.
Lineup alternatives
Should the hamstring issue mandate a stint on the injured list, the franchise possesses several versatile deputising options.
Mauricio Dubón, Jorge Mateo, and White are all capable of filling the immediate void in the outfield.
“We’re very versatile, but you never like to be challenged like this, losing one of your best and most talented players,” Weiss added.
“We’ll be OK. We’ll have some moving parts.”