Atlanta Braves All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. left Tuesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals in the middle of an inning after struggling to run down a deep fly ball.
Acuña jogged from his spot in the outfield then left to the Braves clubhouse with a trainer. Shortly after his exit, the Braves announced that Acuña was dealing with tightness in his right Achilles tendon.
It’s not clear exactly when or how Acuña sustained his injury or if the tightness was the result of cumulative wear. The Braves didn’t announced a timeline or address the severity of Acuña’s injury. It’s not initially clear how long Acuña will be sidelined.
The injury scare is the latest in a stellar career that’s been plagued by leg injuries. Acuña has twice sustained ACL tears in his left knee — once in 2021 and again in 2024. In between, he won the 2023 MVP while leading the league in hits, runs scored, stolen bases and on-base percentage.
Injuries have limited Acuña to 82 games or fewer in three of his full seven MLB seasons. He missed the first 49 games of this season while recovering from his ACL tear from the 2024 season.
Despite his injuries, Acuña has been named an All-Star in five of his seven MLB seasons as one of the most versatile and gifted offensive players in baseball. He was named Rookie of the Year in one of the two years he wasn’t named an All-Star.
Acuña and the Braves are certainly hoping that his latest setback is minor. With the 45-60 Braves 12 games out of the wild-card race at the time of Acuña’s injury, they’re certainly play it cautious and not rush him back.
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