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Braves Make Pivotal Roster Decision Following Unfortunate Ronald Acuna Jr. News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 11:59 AM ET

The Atlanta Braves fell to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night, 9–6. While their struggles this season continue—with the team now sitting at 45–61 overall—the main concern centered around superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who exited the game due to discomfort in his Achilles.

Anytime Acuna Jr. is forced to leave a game or shows signs of injury, the alarm bells ring loud, especially given his history. The 26-year-old has already endured two torn ACLs during his career with the Braves, making any physical setback a major concern.

He was noticeably emotional during his postgame press conference, prompting some to fear the worst. However, there was some encouraging news on Wednesday morning: Acuna Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list with Achilles inflammation, but MRIs revealed no structural damage.

Ronald Acuña Jr. (Achilles) could miss just 2-3 weeks if MRI shows no significant injury, per @mlbbowman.

Preliminary tests provided no reason to believe he has a significant injury.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 30, 2025

That said, he’s still expected to miss anywhere from two to three weeks. In response, the Braves announced their latest roster move: the team is recalling outfielder Jarred Kelenic to fill the open roster spot.

The #Braves today recalled OF Jarred Kelenic to Atlanta and placed OF Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list with right Achilles tendon inflammation.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 30, 2025

Kelenic last appeared for Atlanta on April 23. While he put together a respectable 2024 campaign—racking up 15 home runs and 45 RBIs—he has struggled mightily this season. Through 60 at-bats, Kelenic is hitting just .167 with two home runs, two RBIs, a .531 OPS, and a .300 slugging percentage.

Now, at age 26, he’ll get another opportunity to carve out playing time at the big-league level.

As for the Braves, any hopes of climbing back into the postseason race remain slim—especially now with their best player sidelined. They currently sit 13.0 games back of even a Wild Card spot.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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