Atlanta Braves outfielder and former MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. left Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds with an apparent Injury. Acuna fouled a ball off of his left leg in the third inning, instantly collapsing and crawling over to the grass down the first base line, where he spent more than a minute speaking to the team's trainer and manager Walt Weiss. Eventually, he stood up and walked off of the field by his own power.
Outfielder Brewer Hicklen came in to replace Acuna. Acuna's injury couldn't have come at a worse time, as the Braves are fighting for a first-round bye in the postseason at the moment. If Acuna is to miss an extended amount of time, the Braves will likely have to play in the Wild Card round without the former MVP.
The outfielder's injury-prone nature is a worry for the team, as he has already dealt with two leg injuries this season alone. He also missed some time in 2025 with Achilles inflammation after returning from a long-term knee injury. The Braves will hope Acuna's injury isn't serious, as he is one of their key contributors — even in a down year like 2026.
Acuña had a slow start to the year, but has passable numbers on the year with just a week left to play. He has 20 homers on the year, driving in 55 runs with a .814 OPS over the course of 104 games — the most he's played in a season since his historic 40/70 season in 2023. His .814 OPS isn't quite as high as his .934 mark from last year, but he has had a strong season after a slow March and April.
He had just a .724 OPS through April, and landed on the IL with a hamstring strain at the beginning of May. After he returned, Acuna finally looked to be himself with a 1.056 OPS in May, but fell back into a slump over the next several months, batting below league average in June, July and August. He finally snapped back into form in September, hitting seven homers and driving in 19 runs while posting a 1.087 OPS.
The Braves desperately need Acuna for the postseason, and will hope the injury isn't anything more than a knock as they prepare for a Wild Card series against one of three incredibly talented teams.
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