This disastrous Atlanta Braves season got a little worse Tuesday night. Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. exited Atlanta’s loss to the Kansas City Royals (KC 9, ATL 6) with right Achilles tightness and will go on the 10-day injured list, according to The Athletic. Tuesday was Acuña’s 55th game of the season after coming back from last year’s ACL tear.
Following the game, Acuña was in a walking boot, and he told reporters his Achilles first started to bother him during Monday’s game (via MLB.com). He will be evaluated Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury.
Acuña exited Tuesday’s game in the sixth inning after chasing after a foul ball along the line and a double into the gap by back-to-back batters. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, albeit gingerly, which is nonetheless encouraging. Walking with a significant Achilles injury is pretty much impossible.
Prior to exiting Tuesday’s game, Acuña was 0 for 2 with a walk, giving him a .306/.429/.577 batting line with 14 home runs in his 55 games this season. He has only stolen four bases, however, a far cry from the 73 bases he stole during his 2023 NL MVP season. It is understandable though that Acuña would rein it in on the bases following his second ACL tear.
Atlanta’s entire Opening Day starting rotation is on the 60-day injured list (Grant Holmes, Reynaldo López, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver) and now they’ll be without their best position player for at least 10 days. Given the team’s 45-61 record, expect the Braves to handle Acuña’s recovery conservatively. There’s no need to rush back.
Alex Verdugo, who appeared in 56 games for the Braves earlier this year, was released on July 5. Acuña’s injury could mean a return to the big leagues for former top prospect Jarred Kelenic, who’s hitting a weak .217/.289/.322 in Triple-A. The Braves lack depth and their next best outfield option is utility man Eli White.
Tuesday’s loss pushed the Braves to 12 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot. They’re expected to sell some complementary players prior to Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline.
