Atlanta Braves’ star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2024 MLB season. According to Braves, Acuña has an ACL tear in his left knee and will undergo surgery at a date “yet to be determined.”
Acuña, who is the reigning NL MVP, suffered the injury in the first inning of the Braves’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was attempting to make a steal when his left knee gave up and he fell to the ground pain.
Acuña previously experienced an ACL tear in his right knee in 2021, but the injury didn’t leave any consequences. He was an All-Star the season after and then produced his best campaign in MLB in 2023 when he finished with 41 homers, 106 RBIs, and 73 stolen bases en route to MVP honors.
However, the start of the 2024 season proved to be more challenging for Acuña than expected. He was batting .250 with only four homers, 15 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 49 games before going down with the injury.
Losing Acuña is terrible news for the Braves, considering that they also saw their ace Spencer Strider being ruled out for the remainder of the season. While they are still sitting second in the NL East with a 30-20 record, their streak of six straight division titles seems to be in great danger.
