Ronald Acuña Jr. appears to have dodged a major bullet.
The Atlanta Braves superstar, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with what was initially listed as right Achilles tendon inflammation, was diagnosed with a Grade 1 right calf strain following an MRI, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
A Grade 1 strain is considered the least severe type of strain. Depending on the progress of his rehab, the Braves expect that Acuña could return within two-to-three weeks, according to Bowman.
Acuña appeared to sustain the injury while chasing down a foul ball in the sixth inning of Tuesday's game at Kauffman Stadium. Later in the inning, he was seen running awkwardly while trying to catch a fly ball, leading to his removal.Acuña was in a walking boot following the game.
(Video source: MLB.com)
The 27-year-old, who was nearing tears while addressing media Tuesday, said that he first felt discomfort in his Achilles while running the bases during Monday's game, according to Bowman.
Acuña added that he pushed manager Brian Snitker to play Tuesday despite the soreness because he felt he's missed enough time already this year. This was just his 55th game of the season; he didn't make his 2025 debut until late May while completing his rehab from a torn ACL.
Despite the late start, Acuña was named to his fifth NL All-Star team, and owns a .306/.429/.577 with 14 homers and 26 RBIs across 238 plate appearances.
Injuries have hobbled the 2023 NL MVP throughout his career. The torn right ACL suffered in May 2024 has limited him to just 104 games over the last two seasons. In 2021, Acuña tore his left ACL and had to watch Atlanta's World Series run from the dugout.
This is also the latest blow to a Braves team that's had their championship aspirations completely derailed by injuries. All five members of Atlanta's Opening Day rotation are on the IL with an array of injuries, and have lost several position players to injuries and suspensions at various points. Acuña and ace Spencer Strider both started the season on the IL.
Tuesday's loss dropped the Braves to 45-61, leaving them 16 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East and just 1 1/2 games up on the last-place Washington Nationals.
Prior to Wednesday's game, the Braves recalled outfielder Jarred Kelenic from Triple-A after placing Acuña on the IL.
