For the second time in his baseball career, Atlanta Braves superstar and reigning National League Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered a devastating ACL injury. This time, the injury is to his left knee. Atlanta has put Acuna on the injured list and he is not expected to return to action in the 2024 MLB season, thus painfully ending the star outfielder's season.
Acuna, who tore his ACL on his right knee back in the 2021 MLB season, suffered his latest injury during the first inning of last Sunday's Atlanta 8-1 win in the series finale on the road versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was looking to make a dash for a third base steal from second base when he suddenly fell down to the ground grimacing in pain. Acuna initially expressed optimism that he would be able to spend just around a month of absence but an MRI revealed that his injury is a season-ending one.
Acuna was having a mediocre season relative to his incredible 2023 campaign before he suffered a right ACL injury. He batted just .250 with a .351 OPS and .365 slugging percentage for a .716 OPS to go with four home runs, 16 stolen bases, and 15 RBIs through 192 at-bats this season. He also only has a 015 OPS+. Those numbers pale in comparison to his monster digits in 2023 when he slashed .337/.416/.596 with 41 home runs, 106 RBIs, and 73 stolen bases plus a staggering 1.012 OPS and 169 OPS+.
The best realistic hope for the Braves at the moment is that Acuna will be ready once the 2025 MLB season opens. Given that he was able to win MVP after he first suffered an ACL injury, the Braves must believe that Acuna would bounce back stronger in his return.
Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Braves teammates react to star's brutal injury
Acuna's injury has hit the Braves hard, especially he won't be around to help his team try to catch up on the Philadelphia Phillies, who are six games ahead of Atlanta atop the National League East division. More than that, his Braves teammates have also been emotionally impacted.
“Broken, Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies told reporters when asked for his thoughts on Acuna's injury (h/t David O'Brien of The Athletic).
“For him to go through this again, I know it’s hard. It’s not something easy. I’ve been hurt myself, so I know how it feels. It’s tough. And I know he’s just got to keep his mind ready and strong and do his rehab so he can be back next year, stronger than ever.”
“Obviously, we were all hoping it just wasn’t as bad as the news we got last night,” Braves outfielder and former National League Rookie of the Year winner Michael Harris II said.
“It’s a huge hit to this team, just the kind of player he is and what he does for us,” Harris added. “I mean, for him to go through it once, but now have to go through it twice — I know that really is kind of hitting him hard.”
With Acuna done for the season, the likes of Albies, Harris, Marcell Ozuna, and Austin Riley are expected to step up to help cover the big void temporarily left by the 26-year-old Venezuelan on offense. At the time of this writing, the Braves are eighth in the majors in batting average, seventh in OBP, and seventh as well in terms of OPS — and that's despite Acuna's struggles at the plate.
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