The all-star Braves player Ronald Acuna Jr. appeared to have hurt himself running the bases today against the Pirates, as he hobbled off the field and made a gesture to his left knee. Later, “left knee soreness” was the Braves’ description of the problem. During the 2021 campaign, Acuna’s right knee suffered an ACL tear that necessitated surgery.
Since Acuna has a history of lower body ailments, it seems likely that he will miss at least some time due to the injury. The exact nature of the injury is still unknown. More information after the game is expected. Acuna had already experienced a left knee ailment in his career in addition to the previously reported ACL tear in his right leg. The 2018 rookie season saw the phenom miss a month of play due to a slight sprain of his left ACL and a contusion to his left knee.
After a challenging May in which the Braves dropped to second place in the NL East, seven games behind the Phillies in the race for the division lead, an absence of almost any length for Acuna would be a huge blow. This is especially true considering the team’s offensive slump this season; Atlanta’s hitters as a group have only recorded a wRC+ of 88 in May, placing the Braves in the bottom six of all big league teams.
Acuna has been experiencing a severe slump. The 26-year-old’s season has started pretty quietly, with 221 plate appearances during play thus far this season, and a slash line that is approximately league average at.246/.348/.356. The star outfielder is obviously just one season removed from a historic 2023 campaign that saw him win the NL MVP award while smashing 40 home runs, swiping 70 stolen bases, and leading the major leagues with a.416 on-base percentage. Despite those unimpressive numbers, there’s no denying Acuna’s ability to carry an offense when he’s at his best.
After a stellar 2023 season, Acuna’s offensive slump in 2024 is shared by a large portion of the Braves lineup. Despite having an intercostal ailment that has prevented him from playing in games for the past two weeks, Austin Riley has a wRC+ of merely 102 when healthy enough to play, while other important players like Matt Olson, O
