Braves Decision Regarding Acuña's Health Proves Right Call Again

Crisis was avoided with Ronald Acuña Jr. after the Atlanta Braves scratched him from the lineup Tuesday night. He had low back tightness, the Braves took him out of the lineup to be safe and he turned out to be fine.

The decision to let him rest it off proved to be a wise decision. He belted two solo home runs against The Athletics Wednesday night, including one to lead off the game, to spark the Braves' bats. They went on to win 9-2 and even the series. The offensive onslaught also snapped a five-game losing streak.

Entering the game, Acuña had been in a slump. In his previous 12 games, he was batting .158 with a .477 OPS with no home runs and two RBIs. The night off also gave him a chance to mentally reset, along with getting healthy. The Braves went 3-9 during his slump. Not that they were doing much winning before that with him playing out of mind, but having yet another struggling bat doesn't help.

More importantly, Acuña's performance shows that he's going to be good to go for the festivities next week. He's set to participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday and then is slated to be in the starting lineup once again in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday.

With the injury scare, the Braves ran the risk of having just Matt Olson in the reserves available to play, and there is no guarantee he will. Chris Sale is already out with an injury and is only there for the festivities.

Acuña will get guaranteed playing time for a Braves player in the marquee events.

How the Braves have handled Acuña goes far beyond just having him available in the lineup - though it's the most important thing. However, having him healthy to go all out for these annual events is a major plus.

So, next time he's out for the night, don't panic unless given a real reason. The Braves are being strategic.

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