KANSAS CITY -- Ronald Acuña Jr. hobbled across the clubhouse with the assistance of a walking boot after Tuesday’s 9-6 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, and then held back tears as he explained why he was headed to the injured list.
“I think [the Achilles] definitely got worse today,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “I told them yesterday and everybody said take today off. But I’ve just missed so much time with injuries, and I didn’t want to miss any more time.”
An MRI exam on Wednesday showed Acuña has a Grade 1 calf strain, and although the Braves have not provided a timetable, it appears he will miss at least two to three weeks. The ailment was initially diagnosed as an Achilles injury.
"Those calf muscles are funny, too," manager Brian Snitker said. "That's a big muscle for speed guys. Hopefully, they get him treated up and we get him back sooner than later."
Though he will be missing some time, the Braves can take solace in the fact that his Achilles tendon isn't torn. The club officially placed Acuña on the 10-day IL on Wednesday morning, recalling outfielder Jarred Kelenic in a corresponding move.
Acuña initially felt discomfort when he scored from first base on an Austin Riley double in the eighth inning of Atlanta’s win on Monday night -- the same night Acuna clobbered a 468-foot homer. He lobbied to play on Tuesday and didn’t show any concerning signs until the sixth inning.
“I was kind of hoping they wouldn’t hit it my way and of course, anytime you do that, they always hit it to you,” Acuña said.
Acuña drew attention when he gingerly moved toward Bobby Witt Jr.’s foul ball with the two outs in the sixth. Acuña seemed to wince as he neared the right-field line before limping towards the ball. A few moments later, he raced into right-center field and was unsuccessful with his attempt to glove a Vinnie Pasquantino double that bounced over the outfield wall.
“It bothered him a little bit, but he wanted to keep trying to play [in Tuesday’s game],” Snitker said. “When he went to the [foul] line to get that ball and then went into the gap [on Pasquantino’s double], I was like, ‘He’s going to end up hurting it worse.’”
Acuña returned to his position with the desire to remain in the game. But as he had his hands on his knees and his head down, Eli White ran toward the outfield to replace him. Acuña jogged toward the dugout without any assistance. But the optimism this might have created was erased by the concern he showed during his postgame interview.
Acuña tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in 2021 and then tore his left ACL last year. His production hasn’t been impacted by the two major knee injuries, though. He has hit .306 with 14 homers and a 1.006 OPS over the 55 games he has played since making his season debut on May 23.