Atlanta Braves outfielder and reigning National League Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuña Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after an MRI revealed a complete tear of his ACL, the team announced on Sunday night.
Acuña sustained the injury while running the bases during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, in a non-contact play.
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Initially described as left knee soreness, the injury proved far more severe.
Acuña compared this injury to an ACL sprain he suffered in 2018, which caused him to miss a month.
Unfortunately, this time he won’t be as fortunate.
The injury occurred when Acuña planted his left foot to redirect back toward second base, causing him to collapse in obvious pain.
He left the game shortly after due to discomfort in his left knee.
This is not the first significant injury for Acuña; he tore his right ACL in 2021, which sidelined him for half of that season and a significant portion of 2022.
Three years prior, he also dealt with an ACL strain in his left knee.
Before the injury, Acuña had a batting line of .246/.348/.356 with four home runs in 48 games.
He was coming off a stellar 2023 season where he hit 41 home runs, stole an MLB-leading 73 bases, and had a WAR of 8.2.
Although he hasn’t matched his previous performance in 2024, his absence is a significant blow to the Braves, who trail the Philadelphia Phillies by six games in the National League East.
The Braves will need to make a roster move before their game on Monday against the Washington Nationals.
Currently, Adam Duvall is the only reserve outfielder on the roster.
The team has two outfielders, J.P. Martínez and Forrest Wall, in Triple-A who are on the 40-man roster, and utility player Luke Williams also has outfield experience.
Additionally, the Braves may need to explore external options before the trade deadline to compensate for Acuña’s lost production.
Acuña is the second major loss for the Braves this season, following ace Spencer Strider, who is out for the season due to elbow surgery.
