The Atlanta Braves are preparing to make their first serious World Series run in two years. Last season was a difficult one, with Atlanta failing to even reach October baseball. In 2026, the Braves have dealt with one injury after another, but those struggles could ultimately pay off with a return to the postseason.
Atlanta has been able to enjoy Ronald Acuña Jr.’s presence whenever he has been healthy this season. He will soon become eligible for another contract extension, but the Braves remain cautious because of his extensive injury history.
“Now Acuña, I’m sure, would welcome talks for an extension because he’d had so many injuries, but I just don’t see it happening. I do see him, in two years, becoming a free agent,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said.
On Tuesday night, the Braves nearly experienced a nightmare scenario with the playoffs drawing closer. Acuña exited the game after fouling a ball off his shin, immediately raising questions about whether he would be available for the postseason.
“Ronald Acuña Jr. has been taken out of the game after he took a swing and the ball ricocheted off his leg. We’ll have more updates when they become available,” The Athletic’s Jesus Cano posted.
It was a moment that left the Braves and their fans holding their breath, hoping the injury was nothing serious. Following the game, it was confirmed that Acuña had suffered a shin injury, but X-rays fortunately came back negative.
“OF Ronald Acuña Jr. left tonight’s game due to a left shin contusion. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day,” the Braves posted.
It would not be surprising to see Acuña shut down for the remainder of the regular season so he can be fully healthy for Atlanta’s postseason run. The injury was a freak occurrence, with the ball finding the one exposed area that wasn’t protected by an accessory.
With that update, the entire Braves fanbase can finally breathe a major sigh of relief regarding their superstar. Atlanta has little reason to risk further injury to its key players, so it will be interesting to see whether Walt Weiss begins rotating his lineups more frequently following Acuña’s injury.