Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Ronald Acuña Jr. tears ACL, out for the season

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated 5/26/24

A frustrating start to the season for the Atlanta Braves got exponentially worse on Sunday when Ronald Acuña Jr. went down in severe pain following a non-contact injury to his left knee. Immediately, it brought back flashbacks of 2021, and the worst fears of baseball fans around the country were realized tonight. Following some tests on the knee, a full tear of the ACL was revealed. Acuña will miss the rest of the season.

OF Ronald Acuña Jr. tonight underwent an MRI that revealed a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee. He is set to undergo surgery at a date yet to be determined and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 27, 2024

There is really nothing that can be said right now that can make this better. It sucks for everyone. Acuña is one of the game’s greatest talents, one that many expect to be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he decides to hang it up. Losing him for an extended period sucks for him, Braves fans, and anybody who loves the game of baseball. He’s box office; a player fans travel hundreds of miles to come see. There aren’t many guys even comparable when it comes to star power, and now he’s suffering his second ACL injury before the age of 27.

The Braves will have to figure out how to replace him and move forward. This is still a team capable of doing damage in October. However, that’s another conversation for another day.

We wish Acuña the best in his recovery. He was able to comeback stronger than ever from his first ACL injury, winning his first NL MVP award last year. If anyone is capable of doing it again, it’s the Braves star right fielder.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: