Braves wunderkind Ronald Acuna gave his team and fans quite a scare on Sunday in Fenway Park with this fall:
That was all kinds of ugly and awkward. With a non-contact injury like that, especially seeing the knee buckle the way it did, there are obvious fears. A torn ACL and the season being lost is on that list of legitimate fears. Monday, the Braves relayed the good news they'd received from doctors:
Results from Ronald Acuña Jr.’s MRI exam today showed a left knee mild ACL sprain and a left knee contusion. The exam also showed a lower back contusion. He will be placed on the disabled list and re-evaluated at the end of the 10-day period.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 28, 2018
Obviously, it's not good that Acuna is injured and needs a stint on the disabled list. It's just that this news is far better than that highlight looked and Acuna will likely be missing weeks instead of months.
Acuna, 20, is hitting .265/.326/.453 (113 OPS+) with seven doubles, five homers, 13 RBI, 19 runs and two steals in 29 games as a rookie. The first-place Braves are 18-11 since his promotion and 30-21 overall.
With Acuna on the shelf, Preston Tucker will take over in left field alongside center fielder Ender Inciarte and right fielder Nick Markakis.
The Braves started a big week of intradivision play on Monday. They're playing a doubleheader at home against the Mets to kick off a four-game series which will be followed by a four-game series with the Nationals.
