Ronald Acuña Jr. Suffers Calf Injury
The Atlanta Braves announced this Wednesday that their star, Ronald Acuña Jr., has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain in his right calf. Although there is no defined deadline for his return, the diagnosis alleviates any fears about a more serious injury to the Achilles tendon. Previously, the Braves placed Acuña on the 10-day injured list and called up outfielder Jarred Kelenic from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his place on the roster. Acuña felt discomfort in his calf on Monday night, while scoring from first base thanks to Austin Riley‘s double, in the 10-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Despite this, Acuña insisted on playing on Tuesday, and Braves manager Brian Snitker agreed. However, Acuña limped off while trying to chase a ball in right field, in a 9-6 defeat.Acuña, the National League MVP in 2023, has dealt with injuries throughout his career. In 2018, as a rookie, he missed time due to a sprain in the left knee ligament. In 2021, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, ending his season. Last year, while taking a lead on the bases, he tore the ACL in his left knee, ending his season after 49 games. In eight seasons, Acuña has only managed to play more than 119 games twice. After missing the start of this season, Acuña returned on May 23 and began playing at an All-Star level again. He was batting .306 with 14 home runs and 26 RBIs in 55 games, including a 2-4 night with a home run against the Royals on Monday.“It happened when I scored from first base,” Acuña explained, speaking through an interpreter. “They are going to examine me (on Wednesday) and we’ll see how everything goes.”
Ronald Acuña Jr.
