The Atlanta Braves flirted with disaster on Tuesday night, as NL MVP frontrunner Ronald Acuna Jr. was forced to leave the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after being hit in the arm by a 97-mph fastball from reliever Colin Holderman:
Ronald Acuña Jr. gets hit by a 97-mph sinker and is forced to exit the game due to injury. pic.twitter.com/HJ3UrhaUFA
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 9, 2023
Acuna was struck near his left elbow, and while he didn’t appear to be in extreme pain, he was eventually removed after being examined by a trainer. The Braves have yet to issue any sort of update on Acuna’s status, and presumably he’ll undergo imaging to rule out any sort of structural damage.
It’s hardly the superstar’s first experience getting plunked. He’s routinely near the top of the league leaderboard in HBPs, and he’s suffered multiple injury scares so far this season. (And, of course, who could forget the time he was intentionally hit by Marlins starter Jose Urena in an incident that touched off a wild brawl?)
Of course, that doesn’t make it any less nerve-racking, especially for an Atlanta team that’s really just trying to get to October in one piece at this point. The Braves have an overwhelming lead in the NL East and the inside track to the No. 1 seed, thanks in large part to a historically great start from their right fielder, who entered play on Tuesday slashing .339/.421/.582 with 25 homers and a whopping 53 steals.
