In a devastating blow to the Atlanta Braves, the team's star outfielder and reigning National League Most Valuable Player, Ronald Acuña Jr., will miss the remainder of the 2024 season due to a complete tear of his ACL. The injury occurred during a non-contact play while Acuña was running the bases in a game against the Pirates on Sunday.
The Braves initially described the injury as left knee soreness, but a subsequent MRI revealed the full extent of the damage. Acuña had previously compared the injury to an ACL sprain he suffered in 2018, which sidelined him for a month. However, this year's injury is far more severe.
This is not the first time Acuña has faced a significant knee injury. In 2021, he suffered an ACL tear in his right knee, which cost him half of that season and a significant portion of 2022. Three years prior, he had an ACL strain in his left knee.
Before his injury, Acuña had a batting line of .246/.348/.356 with four home runs in 48 games. Despite not performing up to expectations in 2024, his loss is a significant setback for the Braves, who are currently trailing the Phillies in the National League East by six games.
The Braves will have to make a roster move before their game on Monday against the Washington Nationals. Currently, Adam Duvall is the only reserve outfielder on the roster. They do have two other outfielders stationed in Triple-A who are on the 40-man roster, in J.P. Martínez and Forrest Wall; utility player Luke Williams also has outfield experience. The Braves may need to look outside the organization between now and the trade deadline to replace what they can of Acuña's production.
This is the second major loss for the Braves this season, who earlier saw ace Spencer Strider go down for the season due to elbow surgery. The Braves, who have already had a slow start to the 2024 season, will now have to navigate the rest of the season without their star player.
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