Braves All-Star OF Ronald Acuña Jr. leaves with Achilles tendon tightness and will go to IL
Acuña experienced the discomfort after chasing down a ball in right field. He'll be evaluated further.
'It's an Achilles thing, it's going to take a while,' manager Brian Snitker said after the Braves fell 9-6 to the Royals. 'He'll go on the IL and hopefully in 10 days or so it'll clear up.'
Acuña said he initially felt pain while running the bases on Monday night.
'It happened when I scored from first to home on that play,' Acuña said through an interpreter. 'They are going to examine me tomorrow so we'll see how it goes.'
The discomfort returned after Acuña ran for a foul ball in the sixth inning Tuesday night. Later in the inning, a ball was hit over his head and he gave chase. He left the game after the sixth.
'It was hurting even more,' Acuña said. 'I was kind of out there hoping they wouldn't hit it my way and of course any time you do that, they always hit it your way.'
Acuña said the pain was worse than it was on Monday.
'I told them yesterday and everyone said, 'Take the day if you want it, you can have the day off,'' Acuña said. 'I've missed so much time already through injuries I didn't want to miss any more time.'
The five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP missed most of last season with a torn left ACL.
'It's an injury, I'm worried,' Acuña said. 'It's more pain, but it feels kind of, I feel it a lot when I try to put pressure on it.'
The Braves (45-61) have dealt with numerous injuries during their disappointing season.
'It's just like, Ozzie (Albies) hit a ball into the dirt and it went in his eye,' Snitker said. 'I was worried that that was an oblique the way he reacted there. I don't know, it's just one of those things, you just have to deal with it. It's not fun dealing with it, not easy dealing with it, but you just have to.'
Acuña walked off the field before a trainer followed him into the locker room.
Acuña is batting .306 with 14 homers and 26 RBIs in 55 games this season. He went 2 for 4 with a homer on Monday night.
Snitker said Eli White will play right field in Acuña's absence.
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His one month in the majors led him to a career prosperous enough that he could help others, one that still fills his mailbox with letters from fans and one that has given him the wisdom to counsel other 23-year-olds to keep putting on the uniform as long as it fits. Make a positive difference in the lives of others. 'It was a very inconsequential part of my life that was very consequential to other people,' Ardell said of his one month in the majors. 'I think of it every day.'
