Ronald Acuna Jr. Grabbed His Hamstring and Limped Off: The 2023 MVP Is Heading for an MRI

The Atlanta Braves just beat Colorado 9-1 on Saturday, but nobody's celebrating. Ronald Acuna Jr., the 2023 National League MVP, left the game in the second inning after his left hamstring started barking at him. He grabbed at the leg while trying to run out a grounder he'd hit and pulled up immediately. After the medical staff checked him out, he limped off the field under his own power. Braves manager Walt Weiss confirmed after the game that Acuna will get an MRI to figure out what's going on.

The Timing Could Not Be Worse

Acuna started Saturday hot. He led off the game with a single and scored when Drake Baldwin followed with a home run. But then he stepped into the box again in the second inning, hit a grounder, and something went wrong. One grab at the hamstring and his afternoon was over. For a guy who was the 2023 NL MVP, missing time is exactly what the Braves cannot afford right now, especially when the numbers haven't been pretty anyway.

Numbers Don't Tell the Full Story Yet

Through 34 games, Acuna is hitting .252 with two homers and nine RBIs. That's not the production you want from your best player, hamstring or no hamstring. The MRI will tell us how serious this is, but the fact that he couldn't finish the game is a red flag. Eli White came in to replace him in right field. White is hitting .196 with two homers and eight RBIs in 20 games, so if Acuna lands on the shelf for any real stretch, Atlanta's outfield takes a serious hit in quality.

The Braves got the win anyway, 9-1, but their MVP dealing with injury concerns in May is the opposite of what they need. We'll know more after the MRI results come back.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.