The Atlanta Braves were hopeful that the injury Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered on Sunday afternoon during their 8-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates would not be severe.
Unfortunately for them and Acuna, it is.
The Braves announced late Sunday night that Acuna suffered a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee and will need to undergo surgery that will sideline him for the remainder of the 2024 season.
It is the second time that Acuna has suffered a torn ACL that will cut short a season. During the 2021 season he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee that cost him the remainder of that season. He was not quite the same player when he returned during the 2022 season, but eventually bounced back in 2023 with a monster performance that saw him win the National League MVP award.Â
Acuna was injured on Sunday in the top of the first inning when he was attempting a delayed steal off of second base.Â
Just as he started to run he immediately dropped to the ground with a non-contact injury. He was tagged out, remained on the ground for several minutes, and eventually walked off the field. He was removed from the game.Â
Here is a look at the play.
Acuna led off the game with a double off the right-center field wall.Â
In 48 games this season he is hitting .246 with four home runs and 15 RBI. Even though he has not been as dominant as he was a year ago, he is still one of the best players in the league. His absence will be a huge void for the Braves to fill the rest of the way.Â
The Braves did end up winning the World Series in 2021 when Acuna tore his other ACL, so they have proven they can still be a contending team without him. It is still going to be awfully difficult to do that again.Â
