Ronald Acuña Jr. was hopeful after his knee buckled Sunday afternoon that he had prevented the worst. The Braves’ steals chief thought of taking third base on a throw again to the pitcher at PNC Park earlier than reconsidering. As he made a fast transfer retreating again to second base, his left knee planted awkwardly and left him writhing on the bottom.
Although the damage did not really feel as severe because it did when he tore his proper ACL in July 2021, the devastating outcomes have been the identical.
The Braves discovered Sunday evening that, for the second time in lower than 36 months, an ACL damage had lower Acuña’s season brief. Because the Braves transfer ahead once more with out the reigning Nationwide League MVP, FOX Sports activities MLB consultants Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar react to the startling improvement in an emergency roundtable.
1. Acuña is a novel and eminent determine in right now’s recreation. What was your rapid response to listening to he is out for the 12 months after tearing his ACL a second time?
Thosar: Laborious to place into phrases. Anytime anybody suffers an damage, it is brutal. However when the handful of high athletes within the sport maintain season-ending accidents, it is simply plain heartbreaking. It doesn’t matter what crew you assist, it is unhappy to see Acuña go down together with his second ACL tear in three years. It is a loss for baseball, not to mention an injury-impacted Braves crew that has misplaced seven of their final 11 video games.
Figuring out it took him round 9 months to recuperate from the ACL tear on his different knee, the silver lining could be that Acuña may very well be prepared by Opening Day 2025, when he will probably be in his age-27 season. However we’re nonetheless lacking one other 12 months of a younger, proficient participant within the prime of his profession. Accidents are the worst.
Kavner: It is crushing, after all, for the Braves and for baseball followers generally — however at first for Acuña. Final 12 months’s record-setting MVP season was the fruits of a two-year street again to prominence after he tore his proper ACL in July 2021. He by no means actually regarded snug in his first 12 months again, however a 41-homer, 73-steal 2023 season wiped away any questions on whether or not he may regain his kind. He did not simply return to regular — he reached ranges by no means earlier than seen. And at simply 25 years previous, after chopping his strikeout price in half, it regarded sustainable, too.
This 12 months, nevertheless, began as extra of a slog as he noticed his strikeout price and whiff price climb again up and his hard-hit price drop, however he stays one of the crucial dynamic gamers within the recreation — somebody who may get scorching at any second and carry a crew within the course of. The Braves already misplaced their greatest pitcher in Spencer Strider and now lose the reigning MVP. They nonetheless have expertise all through the lineup to make a deep run (they did it with out Acuña in 2021), however their possibilities of successful a title take a considerable hit, and the street forward is considerably extra treacherous now, particularly with the best way the Phillies are taking part in.
Ronald Acuña Jr. leaves recreation vs. Pirates with non-contact damage
2. Atlanta was ultra-aggressive within the aftermath of Acuña’s first ACL tear, initially buying Joc Pederson, after which Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall proper earlier than the deadline, all of whom helped propel the membership to a World Sequence title. How do you count on the Braves to navigate issues this time round? What do you assume they need to do?
Kavner: I’d count on an identical strategy. They do not have to go all-in — this can be a crew set as much as carry out each short- and long-term — however there may be some strain to win now contemplating the questions upcoming on the pitching workers. Max Fried and Charlie Morton will each be free brokers, and Spencer Strider will probably be coming off main elbow surgical procedure.
Even with out Strider and Acuña, the Braves nonetheless should be thought of among the many high Nationwide League contenders — a testomony to Atlanta’s lineup depth — however the place gamers they’re counting on most must be higher. Acuña was within the midst of his worst season as a serious leaguer, and he was not alone. Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II have all been about league-average hitters this season. I would count on some newcomers so as to add a lift on the deadline.
The Braves do not have anybody who can replicate what Acuña gives. Even amid his struggles this 12 months, his 16 steals are greater than double that of every other participant on the crew. Nobody else has greater than seven. The large transfer could be buying and selling for Jazz Chisholm, however as their championship season demonstrated, the reply to changing Acuña may come from a mess of smaller strikes. Would anybody be shocked if the Braves reunite with Rosario, who’s in a contract 12 months in Washington? I additionally would not be shocked if the Braves give the White Sox a name about Tommy Pham or test in with the Angels about Taylor Ward or Jo Adell.
Thosar: It’s going to take one other bundle just like the one basic supervisor Alex Anthopoulos put collectively in 2021 to even scratch the floor on changing Acuña. The Braves do not have a lot inner depth within the outfield past 35-year-old Duvall, so I am anticipating the entrance workplace to make additions externally between now and the July 30 commerce deadline. On the very least, Tommy Pham is the apparent commerce acquisition on a 15-win White Sox crew. Final 12 months, Pham helped propel the Diamondbacks to the World Sequence and he is nonetheless hitting the ball laborious sufficient that he is usually a difference-maker for Atlanta.
However the Braves are already lacking ace Spencer Strider for the 12 months, third baseman Austin Riley is on the shelf and catcher Sean Murphy is on his approach again from his indirect pressure. The Braves must get a bit more healthy in all places else earlier than they will go full throttle on outfield acquisitions the best way they did three years in the past. Within the meantime, consumers and sellers will change into a bit extra apparent, and Anthopoulos can get a greater thought in these subsequent few weeks of which influence gamers will probably be accessible past Pham. If Arizona falls out of competition, a reunion with Pederson, who has a .935 OPS this season, should not be out of the query.
MLB Energy Rankings: Yankees & Phillies maintain high spots
3. Atlanta has lengthy been thought of essentially the most proficient crew in baseball no matter its document. How a lot do you assume this damage will finally influence the NL pennant race — between and past the Braves, Phillies and Dodgers?
Kavner: It is enormous. There’s nonetheless sufficient expertise in Atlanta to check the Braves within the combine for the Nationwide League pennant, however I believe the Phillies and Dodgers should be the favorites now. This must be a extremely attention-grabbing deadline forward for a variety of NL golf equipment, together with the Braves, Brewers and Cubs, who may must patch up some holes of their quest for a division title and past.
Thosar: The Braves had the benefit of being in first place the final time Acuña sustained a whole tear of his proper ACL, so that they had the posh of taking a beat and determining tips on how to proceed. This time round, Atlanta is wanting up at Philly within the NL East standings and the membership was already feeling the strain to make up the distinction earlier than Acuña went down. Maybe this may very well be the kind of problem that reignites a scuffling Braves crew, significantly with Murphy and Riley set to return, quite than the utter domination that they are used to within the common season. So, I am nonetheless anticipating the Braves to be proper in the course of the dialog within the NL pennant race. The way in which this membership is constructed, Atlanta is solely not going to break down and even go down with out its reigning MVP.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB author for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand lined the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Every day Information. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Lengthy Island and now lives in Queens. Comply with her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
Rowan Kavner is an MLB author for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand lined the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved again to the West Coast in 2014. Comply with him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
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