Atlanta Braves' outfielder, Ronald Acuña Jr., has been hit with a series of injuries, the latest being an apparent ankle injury during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. This comes just six days after he had to leave a game early due to a hand injury. The 23-year-old star player, known for his league-leading 11 home runs and 32 runs scored this season, hit the first-base bag awkwardly while running out a two-out infield single in the seventh inning.
Acuña, who was seen limping down the line without putting his left leg down, was attended to by trainers on the right field line. Although he left the game after the play, he did not require assistance to get off the field. The incident seemed less concerning than it initially appeared, as he was able to walk gingerly and move his ankle around.
Earlier in the week, Acuña had undergone X-rays for his hand, which came back negative. He had suffered a left pinky contusion and was listed as day-to-day after Saturday's game. The young player was also listed day-to-day last month due to a mild abdominal strain.
In a separate incident, Acuña will be meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles after an MRI revealed irritation to the meniscus in his right knee. This injury was sustained during a rundown between second and third base in a game against the Minnesota Twins. Despite the injury, Acuña remained in the game until the fifth inning and even participated in batting practice and pregame warmups the following day.
However, the reigning National League Most Valuable Player later reported experiencing soreness and was subsequently scratched from the lineup. The Braves sent Acuña for an MRI on Friday evening, which revealed more to the injury than initially thought.
Braves' president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, expressed optimism about Acuña's condition, stating, "we expect him to be ready for Opening Day, barring new information or something else." The Braves are hoping to have a clearer understanding of Acuña's status by Wednesday, which will determine his availability for the Braves' March 28 opener versus the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Braves' manager, Brian Snitker, echoed Anthopoulos' optimism, stating, "Right now we're trying to be optimistic. Maybe just a couple of weeks or whatever, just to calm everything down. But honestly, I don't know until we get what the doctor out there says."
More for you:
