Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. was pulled from Tuesday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals after experiencing ‘right Achilles tightness,’ the team said.
The right fielder was lifted during the bottom of the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium, shortly after he appeared to be hampered trying to get to a pair of balls hit in the air. The latter play resulted in a ground-rule double for Vinnie Pasquantino that moved the Royals’ advantage to 9-3.
Eli White came in to replace Acuna, who lightly jogged off the field.
Acuna, the 2023 NL MVP, entered Wednesday’s game batting .309 on the season with a .430 on-base percentage, both the best marks on the Braves. He has appeared in 54 games.
The Royals held on for a 9-6 win to improve to 53-55. The Braves fell to 45-61.
Ronald Acuna timetable could be 2-3 weeks
Wednesday’s MRI will determine just how significant Acuna’s injury is, but Mark Bowman of MLB.com is reporting ‘if results match current expectations, there’s a chance Acuna could play again in 2-3 weeks.’ Bowman says Acuna’s pain is in the upper Achilles/lower right calf area.
Ronald Acuna placed on IL
The Braves officially placed Acuna on the 10-day injured list Wednesday morning with right Achilles tendon inflammation. Outfielder Jarred Kelenic was recalled to take his place on the big-league roster. Acuna is expected to have an MRI on Wednesday.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.