Ronald Acuña Jr. left Tuesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park after a foul ball caught him on the lower portion of his left leg in the third inning, but the Braves received encouraging news when X-rays came back negative.
Key takeaways
- Acuña was diagnosed with a contusion on his left shin.
- The injury came on a foul ball in the bottom of the third inning.
- He was struck in the area between his left shin guard and knee.
- The Braves outfielder walked off the field and reached the dugout without assistance.
- Since Aug. 28, Acuña has been tied with Alex Bregman for the second-highest OPS in the majors at 1.119.
A painful third-inning exit
The foul ball dropped Acuña to the ground immediately. He attempted to test the leg with a few steps, then went back down as the pain lingered around the exposed spot above his shin guard.
Atlanta’s training staff came out to check on him, and Acuña eventually made his way off the field under his own power. The club later confirmed the left shin contusion and the negative X-ray result, removing the immediate concern of a fracture.
Another test for Atlanta’s lineup
Acuña’s exit came while he has been swinging one of the hottest bats in baseball. Entering the Reds game, his 1.119 OPS since Aug. 28 matched Bregman for second best across MLB over that stretch.
For the Braves, the negative imaging offered a measure of relief after a frightening moment for their outfielder. The remaining question will be how the bruise responds in the days ahead and whether the soreness allows Acuña to return to the lineup quickly.
