The Atlanta Braves will be without their reigning National League MVP for rest of the 2024 season.
The team announced Sunday that Ronald Acuña Jr. tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and will undergo season-ending surgery. After a leadoff double to begin the game, Acuña attempted to steal third base when his knee gave out, putting him on the ground for several minutes before he walked off without assistance.
“(We) think (compared to the one from Miami sustained in 2021), this one is not that hard,” Acuña said through Eddie Perez, the Braves coach who interpreted his answers for reporters. “It doesn’t feel that painful, and I didn’t hear any pop or anything, so I’m feeling good. We don’t think it’s that bad.”
Acuña, who was hitting a modest .250 with a .716 OPS, four home runs and 15 RBIs as of Sunday, previously tore his right ACL in July 2021, ending his season.
Here is a look at Acuña’s previous injuries that required him to miss more than one game and how they affected his career.
Acuña injury history by year
2018: While Acuña would go on to be named the NL Rookie of the Year in 2018, in May, he sprained his left ACL, causing him to miss a month of play.
2019: Acuña missed four games at the end of the regular season because of a hip injury.
2020: In August, Acuña sustained a wrist injury that would keep him out of the lineup for two weeks and was almost immediately followed by a hamstring injury that cost him nearly a week of playing time.
2021: Acuña suffered several injuries in 2021, including his season-ending ACL tear. In April, he was out four days with an abdominal injury. In May, he injured his ankle, keeping him out of the lineup for four days. In June and July, Acuña struggled with back issues, missing a handful of games.
On July 10, Acuña suffered his season-ending ACL injury when attempting to make a leaping catching in the outfield.
2022: Acuña missed several days in August because of lingering knee pain. He then sustained another back injury in September, missing the majority of a series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
2023: In a season that was relatively injury-free for the Braves star, the only injury that required him to miss substantial playing time was when he missed a pair of games for a calf injury in September.
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