The New York Mets were dealt an unwelcome offseason scare when infielder Luisangel Acuna exited a Venezuelan Winter League game after taking a pitch off his forearm, creating an immediate injury concern. The moment quickly drew attention across the league, as the Mets top prospect has become a major part of the organization’s long term plans as the headline piece of the Max Scherzer trade and is entering a pivotal stretch of preparation ahead of next spring.

Acuna was playing for Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League when the pitch caught him in the fourth inning, and he went down in visible pain before leaving the game. The Talkin’ Baseball podcast took to its official X (formerly known as Twitter) account to share a clip of the sequence and underline how suddenly the Mets infielder’s night came to an end for winter ball viewers.

“Luisangel Acuña exited his Venezuelan Winter League game after getting hit by a pitch”

Article Continues Below

Reports out of the league indicate that Acuna was held out of the following game as a precaution, with no immediate signs of a fracture or long term setback. Even a brief absence carries weight for the Mets. The younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. has been using the Venezuelan Winter League to log extra at bats, refine his approach, and build on the speed and on base skills he flashed during his first extended run in the majors with New York.

The stakes feel higher because the 23-year-old infielder is more than just another  prospect. He was the headline piece in the Scherzer trade, and represents a big part of how the Mets organization plans to reset its core. Any setback naturally draws extra attention from fans and the front office. For now, the club will hope the injury scare proves minor and that additional testing backs up the early, calmer reports, allowing him to resume his winter work and arrive at Mets spring training ready to push for a larger role in 2026.