Braves Star Ronald Acuña Jr. To Miss Rest Of Season After Tearing Left ACL
May 27, 2024, 9:48 AM
Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves walks off the field with trainers after an apparent injury in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 26, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. will miss the rest of the season after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Sunday’s 8-1 victory at Pittsburgh.
Ronald Acuña Jr. to miss rest of season
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The reigning NL MVP led off the game with a double to right-center field off Martín Pérez. With Marcell Ozuna at the plate, Acuña started toward third on a stolen base attempt and his left knee gave way. Acuña remained down for several minutes while being treated, pointing at his left leg before walking off under his own power.
The Braves’ initial diagnosis was left knee soreness. But the team announced Sunday night that an MRI showed a complete ACL tear that will require season-ending surgery.
Acuña tore his right ACL on July 20, 2021. Wearing a brace in the clubhouse after Sunday’s win, the 26-year-old outfielder said this injury felt less severe.
“(I) don’t feel that painful, any pop or anything. … Don’t think it’s that bad,” Acuña said.
OF Ronald Acuña Jr. tonight underwent an MRI that revealed a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee. He is set to undergo surgery at a date yet to be determined and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 27, 2024
Acuña said he was looking to take third when he anticipated a slow throw back to the mound from catcher Joey Bart. The toss came in harder than expected, leading to an abrupt pivot back to second with his knee twisting.
Acuña is batting .250 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 49 games. The four-time All-Star hit a career-best .337 last season with 41 homers and 106 RBIs.
Atlanta already was missing All-Star right-hander Spencer Strider, whose season ended on April 13 when he had internal brace surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Third baseman Austin Riley is day to day with a left intercostal strain, and catcher Sean Murphy remains on the 10-day injured list with an oblique injury after he got hurt on opening day.
Ronald Acuna Jr out of the game after he went down on a secondary lead between second and third in the top of the first. He was in quite a bit of pain as it looked to be a left knee injury. pic.twitter.com/uSXetYrJcw
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 26, 2024
“It’s just something that everybody goes through,” Snitker said before the results of Acuña’s MRI were announced. “We’ve been through it before. Personally, I just hate it for the young men that it affects more than us. These guys love to play the game. When something happens to those guys, I hate it for the individuals more than us, quite honestly.”
