Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna left in the seventh inning of Thursday’s 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays after injuring his ankle as he ran across first base. Acuna walked off the field on his own with a minor limp. X-rays were negative, and Acuna is considered day-to-day, manager Brian Snitker said after the game.
“He’ll be day-to-day, and we’ll see how he is tomorrow when he gets up,” Snitker said.
The Braves have dodged a couple of bullets already with Acuna this season. He missed time last month with a mild abdominal strain, though he didn’t require time on the injured list. He was hit in the hand by a pitch earlier in the homestand, and while it looked bad in the moment, he was in the next day’s lineup.
Acuna hit his 12th homer to open the game Thursday, extending his major-league lead. There’s a four-way tie for second place (10 homers) behind him. Acuna has started the season on a tear, hitting .302 with 12 homers, 24 RBIs and six steals.
While Acuna avoided the IL again, outfielder Cristian Pache did not. Pache will go on the 10-day IL after injuring his hamstring Thursday. Veteran Ender Inciarte will return from his rehab stint in Triple-A (hamstring) and take Pache’s place.
The Braves (17-20) will open a three-game series in Milwaukee on Friday.
