What Happened To Ronald Acuna Jr? Find Out How Long Will He Be Out After ACL Tear In Freak Injury Vs Pirates

Ronald Acuna Jr suffered a serious ACL injury which abruptly made Acuna exit the game. Let’s look at when he can come back to play.

By Blesson Daniel

Published on May 27, 2024 | 06:32 PM IST | 39.6K

Ronald Acuna Jr [Credit-Instagram@ronaldacunajr13]

In this Article

What happened to Ronald Acuna Jr?
What makes Ronald Acuna Jr special?

On Sunday night, Ronald Acuña Jr. learned he will have season-ending knee surgery for the second time in under three years. During Sunday's 8-1 win against the Pirates at PNC Park, Acuña tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, according to an MRI exam. The reigning National League MVP will have to go through the same long, arduous recovery procedure that followed his tearing the ACL in his right knee midway in the 2021 season.

“I hate it for the young men that it affects more than us,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said when asked about the significant injuries some of his stars have suffered this year. He added, “These guys love to play the game. When something like this happens, I hate it.”

What happened to Ronald Acuna Jr?

Acuña yelled and fell into the infield grass between second and third base, causing an immediate alarm. After catcher Joey Bart threw the ball back to pitcher Martín Pérez, he moved to third base with a significant secondary lead. His left knee appeared to buckle before he fell to the ground.

“I saw the catcher throwing the ball back to the pitcher very slow,” Acuña said, adding, “I was timing that so I could steal third. But in that moment, he threw it hard. So I had to come back, and that’s when I felt it.”

Acuña's second severe knee injury at the age of 26 is a shock to the baseball world. Since being crowned the National League's Rookie of the Year in 2018, the Braves right fielder has established himself as one of the game's most explosive players.

His extraordinary abilities were once again demonstrated last year when he was crowned NL MVP after becoming the first player to smash 40 or more home runs and steal 70 or more bases in the same season.

“You never want to see anybody on any side of the field do that,” Sale said, adding, “He’s a big part of this team. He’s one of the best players in the game.”

What makes Ronald Acuna Jr special?

Acuña's career stats include 165 home runs, 196 stolen bases, and an OPS of.903. He is the first player in MLB history to hit 145 home runs, steal 190 bases, and have an OPS of at least 900.

What makes this even more impressive is that he missed a month of the 2018 season after making his MLB debut a couple of weeks after Opening Day. He was limited to 46 games in the 2020 COVID season and then played 82 games before injuring his ACL two days before the 2021 All-Star break. His productivity remained steady as he worked to restore trust in his knee in 2022.

The Braves won the World Series in 2021 despite Acuña's absence, thanks to Anthopoulos' successful trade deadline acquisitions. This was definitely not a task they wanted to confront again.

Adam Duvall might replace Acuña as the Braves' regular right fielder. Instead of platooning with Duvall, Jarred Kelenic might suddenly be the primary left fielder. Michael Harris II will remain in centerfield. Forrest Wall appears to be the most likely roster replacement. In 132 plate appearances with Triple-A Gwinnett, Wall has a.306 batting average, four home runs, and an OPS of.912.