A brutal blow for Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Braves

Ronald Acuna Jr. with tears

The Atlanta Braves announced that outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 season after an MRI revealed a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee.

There is no date yet, but Ronald Acuna Jr. will undergo surgery for the injury. He left the Braves’ 8-1 win on Sunday after he was injured running the bases between second and third. He was heartbroken about the news, posting on X after the Braves’ announcement.

“Sorry💔😪” Acuna posted on X.

This is the second time that Acuna has had his season end due to an ACL injury. In 2021, Acuna tore his right ACL while trying to catch a ball in Miami against the Marlins. This time, it is the left knee.

Last time Acuna tore his ACL, the Braves made many acquisitions at the trade deadline to fill the holes in the outfield and went on to win the World Series over the Houston Astros. Acuna came back for the 2022 season, but it was clear that his injury was still impacting him. In 2023, that was not the case, as he won the MVP award in the National League.

Hopefully, Acuna’s recovery is smooth this time and he can return in full form in 2025. The game is better when Acuna is playing to his capabilities. It is tough to see him not playing or playing while clearly being hampered by an injury. It is a long road ahead, but he has been through this before.

Braves’ 2024 outlook after Ronald Acuna Jr.’s injury

The Braves are still in a competitive spot at 30-20 on the season. This was the case even while dealing with Spencer Strider’s season-ending injury. Adding Acuna to that list is an incredibly tough blow. Those two are some of the most important players on Atlanta’s roster, and some of the main reasons that many believed the Braves were the best team heading into the 2024 season.

After the start that the Philadelphia Phillies have gotten off to, and the injuries that the Braves have dealt with, it would be a big ask for Atlanta to win the National League East this season. Currently, the Braves are six games out of first behind the Phillies. Still, there is plenty of talent on the roster, and it would be a disappointment if the Braves missed the playoffs.

Atlanta is still firmly in playoff position as things currently stand. There is still plenty of time before the MLB Trade Deadline, and Atlanta could take a similar approach as it did in 2021, when it added a lot of players to fill in holes that were left by injuries.

For now, the Braves will try to stay afloat with Acuna out of the lineup.