Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna was in the lineup Monday, as expected, after neck tightness forced an early exit Sunday.
Acuna collided with Phillies shortstop Jean Segura at second base in the seventh inning of a loss to the Phillies. He stayed in to run the bases but exited in the bottom of the frame.
The Braves and Acuna downplayed any concern and said he’d likely be in Monday’s lineup for the opener in Washington. That is the case, with Acuna back in center and leading off.
“He felt great,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He talked to everybody all morning. It’s good. He was stiff yesterday but it’s done. ... I was worried he might wake up after sleeping on it and might not be able to move, but it didn’t bother him at all.”
The reigning National League rookie of the year is riding a 32-game on-base streak. Acuna’s hit .295/.380/.507 with 25 homers and 64 RBIs while stealing 24 bases across 105 games.
