JULY 11: Acuna was placed on the 60-day injured list. Utilityman Johan Camargo has been recalled to take his place on the active roster. The Braves will leave a vacancy on the 40-man roster for now.
JULY 10, 10:20PM: The worst-case scenario has occurred, as the Braves announced that Acuna suffered “a complete tear of his right ACL” and will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan estimates a recovery timeline of 9-10 months for Acuna, so the outfielder will very likely miss time at the start of the 2022 campaign.
JULY 10, 5:13PM: Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. had to be carted off the field after suffering an apparent injury to his right leg or knee in today’s game against the Marlins. Acuna suffered the injury while trying to make a jumping catch of a Jazz Chisholm fly ball that instead went for an inside-the-park homer. Acuna attempted to walk off the field under his own power, but he had to halt midway to the dugout, and was visibly in pain as he sat on the ground.
More will be known about Acuna’s status after the game, but at first glance it certainly looks like a potential season-ending injury for the superstar outfielder. This is actually the fourth time Acuna has had to make an early exit from a game this season due to an injury, but while those previous instances resulted in just a couple of missed games, today’s injury appears to be much more serious in scope.
Acuna is enjoying yet another huge all-around season, one that earned him a starting nod on the NL All-Star team. The 23-year-old has hit .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs over 360 plate appearances, along with 17 stolen bases and an NL-leading 72 runs scored. Only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. had accumulated more fWAR this season than Acuna’s 3.9 mark, further cementing his status as one of the sport’s brightest talents.
Unfortunately, it now seems like Acuna’s fourth MLB season will be at least put on hold, and quite possibly ended altogether. It isn’t a reach to say that the Braves’ fate is tied to Acuna, and if he is indeed facing a long-term absence, the team might decide to throw in the towel and become sellers at the July 30 trade deadline. Atlanta entered today’s play 4.5 games behind the Mets for first place in the NL East, but the Braves have only a 43-44 record, and (according to Fangraphs) a 14.8% chance of reaching the postseason.
Horrible news!!!
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
No way they’re winning now, it’s over. Braves absolutely have to trade Freeman, Morton and Jackson now. Freeman bringing back prospects and then resigning back to the Braves on a long term deal is the max reward for the Braves in this situation, it’s the smartest move. Morton a rental too, and then you sell high on Jackson.
GMing is EASY haha
Freeman has 10/5. Why accept a trade to take him away from family and 2 young sons under 6 months old.
to get a ring for the first time in his career? He is not getting it in ATL. I agree. Trade him, then resign.
I would hope that being with his young family is more important to Freeman that winning a World Series with another team as a rental.
He is not going to let that happen! He can refuse any trade and doubt he would leave his family.
Braves will pay up long term or lose him.
I’m sure Freddy can afford to rent a private jet and nice house for his family for the rest of the year. They don’t have to stay in ATL if he gets traded.
Has no father ever went on a 3 month contract job in another state before? Are you gunna pass the same judgement on them?
rodcannon7 hours ago
I would hope that being with his young family is more important to Freeman that winning a World Series with another team as a rental.
======================================================
I’m not sure that you can’t do both. And it is not uncommon to have us commoners away from the family for a couple of months. And, even if he did get traded, it’s not like he cannot afford a hotel room for a couple of months.
Freeman has a CA home and though his wife, Chelsea, and sons are close by in GA, a trade to a west coast team would make things easier personally, where his dad also is. Problem is, there’s no easy fit on a contending west coast team (SF would have to move on from Belt, SD from Ho$mer, LAD has Muncy playing at an AS level, OAK same with Olson, LAA with Walsh and far from competing). Not that it will play out like this, but you can make a case that Freeman could help replenish a good farm with the prospect depth they’ve missed out on b/c of international signing sanctions (and a few draft pick losses) via Coppy/Hart. If it doesn’t appear that a deal will come together before he becomes a free agent, where ATL can re-sign him OR lose him and get a compensatory pick. If they lost him then at least it appears they’re trying to re-sign him and simply couldn’t agree to terms, similar to Donaldson, while an in-season trade would be tough on a fanbase and a resounding gong for the future of the team.
Why do you think the Angels are far from competing? Had Perry done anything about the pen in the off-season they’d easily be a wild card team and that’s with Rendon and Trout out.
The team is close, all it needs is a GM with a brain.
Re: LAA, you should know I’d personally consider them the favorite to land Freeman in the offseason (inc. ATL), so I’m not sure Minasian would spend prospect capital in a fragile farm system for someone he could get in November (and keep prospects). He also may have more info than most on if ATL has a serious shot at re-signing Freeman, which could affect his trade talks with his former boss. Take all that, then also consider that LAA is 25 of 30 in starting pitching ERA and 22 of 30 in bullpen ERA with a run differential of -32, with the hottest hitter in the game (Ohtani). Sure, they’ll be getting Trout back and Rendon is certain to have a much better back-half, if healthy, so Freeman, healthy Rendon, healthy Trout, Ohtani would be crazy, but though that helps the run differential some, it doesn’t affect pitching. After all these years, Angels still have bad pitching. Go fig. Moreno is still the owner, but a few months of Minasian is all that’s necessary for him to be the scapegoat.
The Angels don’t need a first baseman. What they need that is easily obtainable if you have a GM with a brain is a couple of bullpen arms.
Since Perry acted like a blind man last Winter, I’m not sure he has a brain.
Damn. Not good.
You think?
Well, if he is out, rebuild. No one is beating the Mets this year with their luck. Trade Fried, Riley, Swanson, Morton, and Smyly. Trade Freeman and give him a chance to win a ring because it will never happen in ATL.
Maybe now we will see if the Braves find a real leadoff hitter.
Never understood why fans are so eager for rebuilds. You know you’re asking your team to be intentionally bad for years right? With no guarantee they’ll be good when they come out of it? Braves might need to sell some pieces at the deadline, but they’re still a .500 team with a lot of long term controllable pieces.
This clown is NOT a Braves fan.
Sadly, I think he is a Braves fan. Just monumentally stupid.
He’s probably about to tell us about the collection of guys in their mid-30s that would save the organization and get the Braves numerous World Series titles.
He is not. I’ve seen him for the last several years, through several name changes (who could forget the NoBumgarnerEqualsNoNLCS, saying the Braves were terrible for not going in on MadBum). He trashes the Braves and Acuna with literally every single post. I don’t care what he considers himself; my point is that he is not representative of Braves fans with his comments, since Andy seemed to equate his comments with Braves fans in general. Don’t judge us by this guy any more than you judge Mets fans by MetsFan22.
Thanks. Makes me feel better about the Atlanta fan base! Lot of teams would be lucky to have the amount of long term talent that the Braves have.
You must be an Orioles fan.
They are a .500 team with Ronald! Without him, its very difficult to compete. The Braves have a good farm system. They should be ok.
Probably the dumbest comment I’ve ever read. As I’ve seen before you must be the braves troll of trade rumors.
Whyyy rebuild they are 4 games back also i hate how some people say rebuild dont know the true definition.. A Rebuild in baseball means you give into this season but also next season and possibly the following year.. Rebuild means you trade all assets for very young 18 19 17 yr olds hope for a future in 4-6 yrs… As for Acuna injury they are saying hyper extension on fox but Im crying ACL.. When players go down get carted off the field couldnt even put pressure and it was already swelling his season is over. Sucks but you can tell on his face and the moment. If not he will be out till Sept the earliest just no way its a simple sprain or strain..
First off, I know what rebuild is and they need to rebuild. They don’t have enough talent currently to win a championship. I’ve heard these BS statements since the moment they announced the ASG being moved away – i knew it will be a long season. Couple this with an incompetent manager and terrible ownership, they won’t win anything with the current squad.
Second, did they say hyperextension? I hurt my knee before and couldn’t work and stand on it. That does not automatically mean ACL. Besides, there was no obvious twist based on the replays. He may or may not have an ACL problem here, but based what I’ve seen from the replays, I truly don’t think it is serious (hopefully it is not)
Ian-As a Pirates fan,take my word on it,you do not want to say casually that a team needs to rebuild.
The Braves have had a very good team for several years now.They had rebuilt.
After an awful second half under Clint Hurdle in 2019,and a terrible 2020,it was obvious to all that they needed to do so.Hopefully Cherington is finding usable parts now,and drafting and trading for good young players that can be coached into fine major leaguers,
Your’swas a knee jerk reaction to a terrible development that may ruin the team’s whole year.
But good teams do not need to rebuild.You have no ouija board that will tell you how either a rebuild or next year without one will turn out.
Sometimes you just need to ride it out.
Acuña was their “real” leadoff hitter. And do you really want to go into another endless rebuild with no guarantee they’ll get out of it? Their farm depth is lacking and injuries have sapped the depth they did get out of the farm. I don’t think they’re capable of hitting on so many superstars anymore.
As a Phils’ fan, I highly recommend they do this and trade Acuna and Albies too.
either of them for Moniak?
Both
well, I was being nice with the offer quite frankly
the core is how young and people want a rebuild? dumbest take on this site that’s actually baseball-related.
The Mets’ luck? They’ve been hurt by injuries as much as anyone.
The Mets were lucky in a way, as their injuries came early and almost everyone is back. (Position players anyway.)
Not to mention that some of the injuries made them better as strange as it sounds. The backups carried the team for awhile.
U (re)build around Fried and Riley
I’d be very surprised if Riley continues to put up this kind of BABIP. He’s an OK player, but not the type you’d build around.
I love when people say that baseball is a team sport and one star player doesn’t define a team (like Trout and the Angels). But when one star player goes down they think the season is over and want to rebuild.
I love when people completely ignore context.
Ignoring their other injuries, the Braves lost 3 All-Star caliber players: d’Arnaud, Ozuna, Acuna. I don’t see any team really recovering from that
Dude, why don’t you just find a new team if you’re that upset about it? No one says I hate this food, then proceeds to shovel down an entire plate of it while constantly complaining.
Exactly
That has to be the dumbest comment ever
This is what a fake fan looks like. And also a dumb comment
Dude, stop. You’re more negative than most Phillies fans and that’s saying something. You’re team needs a few tweaks and they can be right as rain. They are still full of young talent. Rebuilds are also no cake walk and they can be rushed/messed up if done incorrectly (see Phillies and the last iteration of the Mariners).
Acuna will be back next year, calm down. Only gotta trade Morton, and Freeman if you want to max out that situation, knowing full well he will re-sign back with the Braves in free agency. If you wanted to sell high on Luke Jackson, now would be the time. Only moves they need to make. They could get some serious pieces back if they trade those 3. But with Acuna coming back next year, they dont HAVE to do anything except trade Morton.
@Ian Theodore, are you a simpleton, or just a lunatic?
I’m hoping this is nothing very serious and he’ll have time over the All Star break to get back to health quickly
I saw the replay a couple of minutes again it happened. Unfortunately it looks like he’ll be out the rest of the season at least. It’s definitely his knee.
Sucks. He’s such a great talent.
That’s ominous. Wishing him the best.
Ffffuuddgge…
As a Phillies fan speedy recovery young man. Never want to see that
I’m another Phillies fan. He’s an incredible talent and I wish him a speedy and complete recovery. The Braves should resist the temptation to make any deals. Just play out the season and hope for the best. Their pitching wasn’t good enough this season anyway and they need need to address that during the off-season.
Shock everyone and come back soon
As a Marlins fan with all the drama lately, still hate to see this. Hope it’s nothing too serious
I’m also a Marlins fan and despise Atlanta and Acuna most but when I saw that kid trying to get off the field with tears in his eyes it brought a tear to my own. I wish him well and a quick recovery. Come back and terrorize the other teams though please.
According to every Braves fans on Twitter his injury in the Marlins fault and all Marlins fans are classless. Just because the Twitter account originally posted the Jazz inside the parker for a couple min. Then when Acuna couldn’t get off on his own power they took it down. Every Marlins fan I follow and talk to on Twitter were unhappy he got hurt. You want to beat him on the field not see him hurt. The irony is apparently Jazz and Ronald get along and talk a lot and made a bet who would hit a homer in the game… And that then happened. Crazy.
“Every Braves fan on Twitter”? Seriously?
Yes every Braves fan…. Come on dude you know what a hyperbole is. When I say every I actually meant at least 100 Braves accounts that said so. That’s quite a few. Like most teams all the fake fans run to Twitter to just repeat what the other idiot tweets out.
Wow, leading a division in which every other team has played poorly and Mets fans want credit. Give credit to the Giants out in the West that lead that division with the Padres and Dodgers.
The Mets lost their whole team. And keep playing double header. Which almost always ends in a split. They deserve credit.
At the moment, the NL East looks like a division that no one will really win. One team will just not lose it.
Just like how the Marlins “deserve credit” for how they handled their schedule last season. They lost more of their players at one time than the Mets. They did make the playoffs. Yes, I called it a season, albeit a shortened 60 game season. It was still the 2020 season, the Dodgers did in fact WIN a “real” World Series Title. The Mets will get whatever “credit” they “deserve” by those who choose to and won’t by those who choose not to (for whatever reason/excuse). Either way there’s way to much time left in the season to crown any team anything.
Don’t try to reason with them. They live in a world where the Mets are the greatest team ever and every year it’s not their fault for sucking. let alone this season they have had most of their best talent available. But one or two guys miss a week and suddenly it’s “the Mets are winning with their AAA team!”
If everyone were smart enough they would just ignore them. Then if the Mets make the playoffs laugh at them when they have a quick exit from the first round.
The Mets will win championships in 2049, 2072, 2074, 2075, 2078, 2091, 2099 and 2123.
Or the red sox with the Ray’s, Jay’s, & Yanks.
Gotta give it up to both of those ballclubs.
My guess is a sprained knee.
I like the optimism.
I agree. I doubt it is ACL issue. Hopefully, it is not ACL
I don’t think he would’ve been able to walk halfway to the dugout if it was an ACL issue.
Yea he would have.
This aged well
Looked like a torn meniscus or ACL live.
The thing is – and I feel bad saying this – Acuna has suffered bad looking injuries on field before and magically been all better the next day. I’m not accusing him of faking at all, but it just seems to be how he handles pain. With luck, thats all this is, too. Hope he’s not seriously hurt.
Was thinking the same thing. How many times has he been “hurt” this season? Like once a week he’s got some severe injury.
I hope you’re right but seeing the replay, my money is on a torn ACL. It definitely didn’t look good. Plus, his reaction and emotions say it definitely isn’t good.
100% an acl tear. See ya acuna
Which is the worst-case scenario.
Thanks, doc.
Doesn’t take a doc to know and understand that everything about that injury lends itself to being an ACL.
I’m a doc. And I agree, it looks all the world like an ACL injury. He planted his right leg and the forward movement of his body probably snapped it. I’m not optimistic that it’s anything less, particularly given his distress afterward.
Man, I hope you are wrong.
That’s what everyone was saying about Giannis’ injury and he was back a week later in a sport that involves a lot more running. Acuna’s injury didn’t look good but there’s no guarantee it’s a season ender.
Acuna hurt is bad for the game. Like Soto in Washington, Harper in Philly, Trout in LA, and so on. I hate when the superstar players are hurt even in the NL East.
Forgot deGrom
No true fan of the game wants the superstars removed from the sport. I for one will hope for the best here and that he can be back in the lineup soon. Really hate to hear this news especially for the Brave fans.
You forgot to mention Yelich. Heading for B2B MVPs. And now? 5HR approaching AS Break and no promise in sight to ever return.
Stick a fork in him for the rest of this year. He’s done.
Thank you Dr. Kildare.
Tyler O’Neil for Waters. Gives Braves the power RH bat in middle of the lineup. Cards need a better mix in their lineup and are out of race this year.
Hard pass from St. Louis.
Would need to give up way more for O’Neill at this point
this aged well (i know we lost wc but still)
He’ll be back soon — reminds me of Anthony Davis. Lots of drama, then he’s back like nothing happened.
He’s been lucky with some injuries. That one time he stepped on the base and wrenched his knee, he was lucky he didn’t tear his ACL.
Agreed 100 percent, but this is bad looking.
Your idiocy didn’t age well
Your sour grapes, however, will age well enough to make a fine whine.
It’s not sour grapes to call out stupidity
Tough break.
Braves can’t really sell at the deadline. They’ll be lucky to get a taker for Will Smith without having to give up a prospect. And no one’s going to take Ozuna.
Not true, the Atlanta PD took him with no issue.
As if being an Atlanta sports fan doesn’t suck enough this season, did you see Barkaveous Mingo got arrested today. If it’s true I hope they shoot him and bill his family for the bullet.
This is fantastic work.
Morton would get a couple of a teams top 30 and a lottery ticket not a prospect.
Many teams would definitely be in on Morton. Especially if they paid down his remaining salary you could get a top 10. What a shame it’s been. On paper entering the season just about everyone had them in the NLCS.
Absolutely horrible news. One of the 5 best players in the game and worth the price of admission by himself.
No offense to the Braves fans, but this guy comes off the field supposedly injured more than anybody else I’ve seen in major-league baseball and then he’s back the next day. Awesome player but drama queen. I hope he’s not hurt for the sake of baseball
Braves fan here, tough to be offended by the truth haha. That’s all I’m holding on to as we wait for the diagnostic – he’d pretty much react the same to a slight tweak as he would to something severe and season ending. Fingers crossed, both selfishly for us and for the sport as a whole, that it’s the former.
Very true. He reacts like I do after I step on my kids’ Legos – a bit much.
Don’t know that I would call him a drama queen. He is young and limber, which often helps.
He is not gritty though, for sure.
Acuna does seem to inject a little soccer into baseball every once in a while. Here’s hoping that’s the case here.
@bhambrave
Don’t stereotype. There are plenty of severe injuries in football, you know, the game you play with your feet, hence football. However, of course there are many different people playing all different sports, some like to dramatise their injuries. Obviously you really got this all wrong like many making asinine comments here, but then again most people have no clue about severe sports injuries because most comment from their armchairs not having played anything of any consequence in their entire lives. The biggest injury they’re most likely to suffer is a sprained finger whilst making inane comments on MLBTR and a sore backside from sitting on it all the time.
I played and watched soccer for years and years and suffered several injuries, and I’ve watched Acuna since he came up. A lot of professional soccer players ham it up, just like basketballers flop. Acuna has gone down several times with injuries that turned out to be a lot less severe than they originally appeared. I was hoping that was the case here. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
“A lot of professional soccer players ham it up”. Hamming it up happens in plenty of sports, not just football or soccer as you call it. I had my leg busted deliberately playing that sport, so I know all about it, I didn’t ham it up when it happened, the ambulance came and carted me off to hospital.
Acuna has been hit by pitches and was extremely lucky not to have had broken bones in his hand, I don’t know if he hammed it up at all. When you get hit on the hands it can always appear and feel a lot worse than it is, but the pain is intense being hit by that hard ball at speed, it also happens in that other sport with a bat and a ball, and even though they wear gloves in that sport whilst holding a bat sometimes they end up with broken bones.
Yeah, I realized after I posted that it was a bad comparison. Soccer players and basketball players who ham it up are trying to get a call from the ref. That has nothing to do with a baseball player getting plunked or crashing in the outfield. I was wrong to say what I did.
Morton would get a couple of a teams top 30 and a lottery ticket not a prospect.
Charlie Morton the clutch post season pitcher? I think not
Good luck in recovery for Acuna, but next man up. Everyone always claims that a team cannot win because of one man (Trout), so it is equally true that a team cannot lose because of losing one man. At the very least, it happened before the trade deadline so the Braves could pick up a Kris Bryant or someone else for the rest of the year for RF.
The Angels cannot win because of one man, but it isn’t Trout. It’s Moreno.
The savagery!
worst owner in the game.
Bob Nutting enters the chat….
Dick Monfort can’t even staff his front office to handle the draft. That makes him worse than Moreno who at least had a strong decade of playoff appearances and contending teams under his ownership. The Rockies are just embarrassing right now. I’m happy we at least got the all star game.
A strong decade of playoff appearances? You mean the one year of playoffs where they were swept? Even the Rockies did better than that in the 2010s decade.
He’s probably referring to the 2000s decade. They won a World Series in 2002 and made five other postseason appearances…2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Moreno purchased the team in 2003, so he had nothing to do with the 2002 championship.
Even so…that’s still five postseason appearances in that decade under his ownership.
Sir, excellent response. I tip my cap to you.
Can’t disagree with you there Two Hands
Just bad for baseball. Guy is a tremendous talent that you pay to watch. Hopefully it’s not as serious as it looked.
Maybe they promote drew waters now
I hope not. I believe he’ll turn out to be awesome but he’s just not ready. And from what Andrew Jones said the other day, sounds like he is pretty stubborn about his approach at the plate.
I’m no sports medicine person, but why on earth would they had let him even attempt to walk off the field on his own?
Poor guy.
Folks wonder why professional athletes will take as much money as possible. This is why.
*44-44
Dagger. Oh how I love to watch him play. The ability is only surpassed by his exuberance on the field. It looked like that’s why he was so dejected when going off the field, that he would not be able to play the game he so clearly loves. Sad for him but sad for baseball fans. With all the injuries on this team this year and Ozuna suspended they likely won’t be able to make playoffs.
I’m sorry to hear about this.
I feel for Braves fans.
Sigh. I hate to see any player get injured. But losing your best athlete on the field is devastating.Possibly losing Acuna for the rest of the 2021 season would be the final nail in the coffin. As the Braves were already looking like sellers, and if Acuna’s injury proves to be as bad as it looked then it’s time to retool. Morton and Smyly are gone, period. along with a handful of other supporting players.
Could only really trade Morton to Tampa .. He wants to stay close to home … He has made enough money … He could decide to hang them up if dealt away as he almost did during the off-season ..
Tampa’s farm system is ripe for the picking, Alex Anthopoulos the Braves GM would do well to raid their talent.
Man, awful news. Hopefully it’s not too serious, but this doesn’t sound good. He’s a special type of player. Really appreciate watching him play.
I am a lifelong Mets fan but I am also a baseball fan and if Acuna is out for any length of time, it won’t be good for baseball. He is an exciting young player who is good for the game. The injury did not look good. I hope he recovers quickly.
The way this season has gone. It almost seemed like a matter of time before one of the best players went down with injury. I’m hoping Maybe the jarring of his knee just scared him more than anything. Praying he didn’t tear anything. And if he did let’s hope a different surgeon does they surgery than the one who did Soroka’s.
Get well Acuna.
As a Phillies fan, you’re a great talent and a game changer.
Not a Braves fan, but hoping he’s at least ready by the start of next year. His talent is not just good for the Braves; it’s good for baseball.
If he’s done for the year that is a horrible blow to the Braves and baseball as a whole. Baseball needs more guys who look like they actually have fun playing the game.
Also if he’s out. They should sell off a couple of the solid vets they have and get some of the young guys game reps. So next year they know who they can count on and who they need to go out and find a better player for in free agency. Mostly need to c all these young arms they have been herding for years during there rebuild. Time to let the young cats let it fly and c what happens.
Oh my god. That’s horrible. I can’t believe how sickening it must feel to be told you’ve basically torn your ACL in the worst possible way.
And Ronnie was doing so well… 🙁
That’s pretty much how I feel right now. A sad day for Acuna, Braves fans, and baseball.
Time to
Rebuild trade freeman
Why on God’s green earth would they rebuild? That’s about the worst take I’ve ever heard on here and that’s saying a whole lot.
Yah makes no sense. If things go well, an ACL recovery could be closer to 6-7 months vs the 8-9 listed in the article.
Given his age and athleticism I’d bet he’s ready to go, good as new for 2022. So the braves should just trade off spare parts, and retool for next year
I feel like I heard the same thing about Soroka, twice. Being optimistic is great, but don’t forget to stay realistic.
ACL injuries are a lot more predictable, fixable compared to Achilles
🙁
:_(
that’s horrible it’s awesome to have acuña on the field
Met fans are thrilled. Now it’s up to the Nats to win division
@mlbnyyfan
Anyone “thrilled’ by an injury to ANY player is not a “fan”, on the contrary they’re low human beings and galoots.
@mlbnyyfan: No, we aren’t. When I just saw the headline, I reflexively said ‘no!’ out loud. No real fan applauds injuries. Acuña being out is bad for baseball.
No, Mets fans are NOT thrilled. I personally like to see the best players in the game because they are the biggest test for the opposing team. You don’t watch a football game hoping to see the third string qb.
@mlbnyyfan That’s not how it works. No real fans wants to see a diminished product or view injuries as a zero sum game. As a fellow NYY fan, I’m actually rooting for Chris Sale to come back and dominate again for the RS. The best competition makes for better baseball.
I was always rooting for David Wright in his comeback attempts, and was sorry when he couldn’t make it back. I’m feeling the same way about Thor, and hope his rehab is successful.
N. F. G.
A good buy low candidate is Max Kepler of the Twins. He has an affordable and controllable contract. He is a premium defender in the corners and capable in CF. He also plays 1st Base. His numbers this year are not good, but he was injured at the start of the year and is starting to find his swing. The Twins have two up and comers on the corners in Larnarch and Kirillof and Kepler seems expendable. If they wanted to go for broke they could trade for Byron Buxton who is from Georgia and a free agent after 2022. Buxton is an incredible talent, but also often injured. He put it together this year and I can’t imagine any more scary outfield combination that Acura and Buxton if both are healthy (that is a big if). The Twins need controllable pitching to reload and the Braves have it.
I’m sorry, baseball gods. I’m now totally fine with “strikeouts and home runs” being The Thing. Just stop making injuries The Thing, alright?
This sucks for Braves fans, it sucks for baseball fans, it sucks for anyone who wanted the NL East to turn into more than a baby race. ****.
That stinks! Braves lose their franchise star. MLB and fans lose a great and exciting player to watch.
I’m a Mets fan and I hate the Braves but this makes me feel sick.
Wow, so he did tear his ACL. Terrible for him and the team.
Rebuild!
@ “Ian Theodore Fanthemson
6 hours ago
I agree. I doubt it is ACL issue. Hopefully, it is not ACL”.
“Ian Theodore Fanthemson6 hours ago
Well, if he is out, rebuild. No one is beating the Mets this year with their luck. Trade Fried, Riley, Swanson, Morton, and Smyly. Trade Freeman and give him a chance to win a ring because it will never happen in ATL.
Maybe now we will see if the Braves find a real leadoff hitter.”
What a fake ‘fan’ you are. Troll and laughing stock.
Pardon me for being a bit optimistic with the injury.
Don’t be mad at me if the Braves will not meet your expectations this year. In fact, be more optimistic. The team will finally get off the delusion they will compete. Now we might see turnover and maybe even a managerial change. You want change to happen? **** like this has to happen. I guess AA quickly got off the phone asking for Tommy Milone from the Jays when he heard the news. Go watch your taped recordings from 2020 fake season. Just make sure you turn it off after game 4 against the Dodgers. This will be the last time you will see a winning Braves team.. at least until AA and Snit are gone.
Maybe that extension isn’t such a rip-off after all.
He’s not a running back 40 years ago. He will back sometime next season and will be fine.
This really sucks. Bad for baseball.
Troll
Does ACL stand for Ronald Acuna Jr?
Terrible news. Love watching that kid play. He has so much fun playing the game. Time for a deal or someone to step up.
Braves sit at .500 and have now lost their best overall player after losing their best Pitcher. Even four games out their season may have ended tonight
Interesting to see what they will do. I thought they could and would win the division. Now if they do nothing they have a chance to stick around. Add a couple bats they could win it.
If they sell off they could replenish the farm and make strong runs for the next decade. Could even sell off their best chips and buy low on replacements. That is what I would do. Aquire prospects I like and trade current prospects I don’t expect much from.
Key is what are their plans for Freeman after this season?
Feel so bad for that kid.
At least the opportunity came for Acuna to sign his contract early. As devastating as the injury is, it won’t cost him any money. Unlike Soroka – that guy can’t catch a break
That contract Acuna signed is the worst contract in the history of professional sports. Tatis got some 200m+ more than Acuna. The Braves are a shameless organization
Not, you’re clueless. Did the Braves organization force him to sign that contract? No you say? I didn’t think so. All he had to do was say no. He signed it because he was happy with it and the team. Not everyone let’s money be their god.
Bot, any other team would do the same thing in a heartbeat.
Shut up troll
Actually the Padres and angels didn’t. They paid their super star market value. Acuna at age 28 will make 15 mil. That’s an abomination!
Oh please. Do you think if Tatis had said that he’d take Acuna’s deal, they’d have said “No, that’s not enough. We need to give you $200M more.”?
I hate that when a star player suffers a devastating injury like that.
Just dont let the same orthopedic who operated on Soroka do this surgery because we dont want him to miss 2 or 3 seasons as well.
Terrible news for baseball and this just cements that it’s a sell season for the Braves. It’s time now for the Braves to make a below market deal with the Rays involving Charlie Morton. The Rays are the only other team he would play for and it’s time to trade him back for a back end top 30 type. If the Braves want to pick up some salary it could be a 15-20 type.
Was there a no-trade clause in his contract? He wouldn’t have 10/5 rights.
Morton probably doesn’t have a full NTC in his contract. Maybe a partial. The Braves wouldn’t trade him to a team that he doesn’t want to go to. It wouldn’t look good.
I agree the Braves wouldn’t and the only teams he has said he would play for recently were the Rays and Braves. Sending him back to the Rays where he would be able to make another post season run and be close to his home would be a solid move by the organization.
No he doesn’t have a NTC, but he has said the last few years that he would retire if he couldn’t play close to his home in Florida. It was one of the main reasons he signed as a free agent with the Rays a few years ago. With the Braves struggles this season and now this terrible injury, trading him to the Rays seems like a win for both teams and the player.
This and now the reported arrests for the planned mass shooting at the All-Star Game = baseball hasnt had a worse day in many years.
Well, the season is probably over, now. Soroka, Ozuna, Acuna gone, d’Arnaud and Ynoa still about a month from returning. They may be sellers now, that’s sell NOT REBUILD.
Morton and Smyly have put together some good starts and now have trade value. The Marlins were able to move an injured Corey Dickerson, so maybe they can trade d’Arnaud. With a few weeks until the deadline, Lucroy and Arcia could possibly build some trade value.
They can see how the team responds to the latest loss, but this could be the last straw. If so, they can move these expiring contracts, focus on re-signing Freeman and getting Acuna back in (hopefully) April or May.
August and/or September may be time to bring back Pache and call up Waters to see what they can do, give Muller, Wright, Wilson, Davidson and Ynoa some starts and see which of them will join Anderson, Fried and (maybe) Soroka next season.
There’s plenty of money coming off the books after this season (or sooner). They should try and find some bullpen help and possibly an oufielder/DH? through free agency or trades and should be ready to make another run next season.
There is also a difference between a fire sale and rebuilding.
Let’s see….
They need a C, 1st baseman (assuming Freeman is not back), SS?, and two outfield replacements. They need to overhaul the bullpen entirely and anticipate finding external replacements for at least a third of their rotation. Their minor league system is average with continued failures pouring out. Sounds like they need to rebuild to me.
I could deal with a rebuild if I had to if we could just get ONE championship first. We still have zero this century.
@48-team
Teams with no ring this century: Mets, Braves, Brewers, Reds, Pirates, Rockies, Padres, Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles, Indians, Tigers, Twins, A’s, Mariners, and Rangers.
That’s over half the league. I’d LOVE for the Braves to win a championship, but not having done it is no mark of shame.
Only two teams (Athletics and Twins) out of that list have made even close to the number of postseason appearances the Braves have made this century.
You really need to get some sun bro. You’re losing your mind to a comments section in a rumors website. Might I suggest a hobby? Maybe knitting?
Smyly has been bad and is being paid $11m. If the Braves eat the money left on his deal, he might have some value to another team. Dickerson got traded because of Cimber’s inclusion.
@1984. Smyly has had decent starts his last 5 games. Going all the way back to his last 11 starts he’s only stunk it up several times. He should have some value as a innings eater. With Acuna/Soroka/Ozuna done this year it’s time to sell not rebuild. Trade everyone whose a FA in 2022 who is not named Freddie Freeman. Probably time to gear up for 2022 and pray Freeman signs a extension in the off season.
Braves/White Sox has clearly been pushed back a year. Acuña and Freeman are the two guys this team simply can’t afford to lose.
Hate to see an injury like this to any player.
On a side note, maybe when a Miami pitcher plunks the Braves new leadoff batter, there won’t be any antics
Freeman and Acuña for Rhys Hoskins, Vinny Velo, Neris Odubel, Hasley and Spencer Howard.
STPHU
*BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
Tough break. They have a lot nice pieces to build on. Might have to deal expiring contracts like Morton and Smyly. Still a couple of weeks early yet.
Doesn’t Ronald have a little brother? It’s time to bring him in.
Brutal news.
As a Mets fan, I have to say this sucks. Hope his recovery is quick and goes well. Feel your pain Braves fans. Plus this is awful for baseball
Definitely need to trade Sanchez and Morton. Freeman depends on how important him being a Braves lifer is to them. Probably a 99% chance he comes back, traded or otherwise. There’s also some benefit for him in a trade since it gives him a chance to win a ring and makes him not eligible for a qualifying offer.
They need to call the Pirates and acquire Bryan Reynolds the pirates are in rebuild mode they traded josh bell last year for a mix of lower level middle tier prospects because they couldn’t afford him .which the same is happening with Reynolds once he hits a million dollar pay day the pirates tradetime to get a all star to replace acuna
JR- Reynolds is going nowhere.
I think it possible that the Pirates sign him to an extension like they did with McCutcheon and Marte.
That would give Pirate fans a reason for optimism.
How could you wish something bad happens to another human being? Forget the baseball aspect of it. This a devastating possible life changing event that happened to a 23 year old kid. A fan or not of the guy be a better human being.
As a Mets fan I’m saddened that this happened to Acuna, he is a tremendous competitor and I fear him more that Freeman. Hopefully he’ll come back sooner than later and stronger than ever. Praying for your quick healing Acuna.
Really bad news but not enough to give up.- at least not yet. Many times dark horses, unknowns, surprises, etc surface, emerge or are acquired who could help ATL a lot. D’Arnaud & Ynoa are coming back, add a player or two when the selling starts and give it a shot. The key is not to fall apart for the rest of July which will be hard with the schedule, but ATL typically plays better against the better teams than it does the teams at the bottom.. My vote is to not change thinking at this point, other than to add to the team as if ATL is still in it – which they are in the East. And good luck to Acuna for full recovery in time for Spring Training,
Even a Mets fan like me feels bad about this. Hope he heals well returns to top form in 2022.
“As a Mets fan” is trending like never before on MLBTR message board.
The Mets have fans?
Not a Mets fan, not a Braves fan. Just a baseball fan who hates to see injuries like this. I hope for a smooth recovery for one of the most exciting players in baseball.
With all the Braves injuries and Ozuna’s problems, I don’t see the Braves going on a huge run now. They were playing better as of late too.
On the side of optimism, Acuna is going to be raging to play next year. Even more motivation to get back on the field and piss people off.
Bryant and Kimbrel to the Braves for two young starting pitchers who have been shuttled between AAA and the big club, Pache and Camargo. Not being one who follows the Braves minor league system, maybe there are better lower level prospects? That’s my prediction.
Tell Nick Markakis to find his glove and cleats.
This is horrible but maybe this will lead the braves to can the pos snitker and clean house from anything to with Bobby cox
Because teams always fire their managers when a player gets hurt.
Hope he can recover and continue to perform at the same level.
Braves fans there’s a lot to be optimistic for! I know AA from his Toronto days hes very smart.
Plenty of opportunity for trades and free payroll to shape the team into a consistent contender. He thinks differently like the Rays. 2021 may be a write off.
Camargo has been hitting at Gwinnett. Maybe he’s fixed himself.
I’m down with Kakes for the second half
BMI = 27.8 so he is “obese”.
This is the single biggest reason for so many injuries. BMI above 25 is “obese”. When you carry too much weight you are a lot more likely to get injured. The modern day ball player is a load of overly muscled physiology. It’s just baseball, there’s no reason for it.
If the Braves do decide to throw in the towel for 2021 and trade their tradable pieces, it’ll be interesting to see how it affects the NL East race. They have 7 games left with the Phillies, 5 with the Mets, 9 with the Nationals and 7 with the Marlins.
I’ll tell you what the season is over injuries happen but this year is catastrophic this year has been a disaster the general manager made a lot of mistakes Gentlemen this is over here there is no pitching and there is no hitting let’s think about 2022
9 straight strikeouts to begin the next game indicates to me they are throwing in the towel. Ian Anderson could care less what he is throwing from the mound. MLB.TV subscription cancelled
It tells me that they’re trying too hard, to compensate for his absence.
Here are the standards for determining whether a decade is a success or failure…
Any decade without at least one World Series title is a failure. However, if a team should make more than two World Series appearances in a decade then they must win at least 50 percent of the time. Obviously winning one of two would be 50 percent and I’ve already stated that any decade without at least one championship is considered a failure…even for the worst franchises in baseball. For example, the 2000s can be considered a success for the Angels, White Sox, Marlins, Diamondbacks and (sadly) Phillies because they all won a championship and had at least a 50 percent success rate in the World Series that decade (100 percent for all of those teams but the Phillies) but the ‘90s cannot be considered a success for the Braves because they went to five World Series and only won one (20 percent).
Dude give it a rest. The season is over. Go enjoy doing something else until 2021. Hopefully, it is a different team next season. Championships will not come in a LM-owned Braves.
*2022
I clearly stated that they need one title per decade. This decade still has eight more years after this year. The only exception to this point (for the Braves) would be the ‘90s because they went to five World Series and only won one. They needed to go 3-2 instead of 1-4 to have it be a success.
Braves season ended before it started. When they signed smyly and Morton, I figured it would not be good. Trade freeman to the Sox for sale and cash. Morton to Tampa bay, smyly to giants. Hope they don’t use the same doctor to operate on acuna as soroka.
So you predicted Soroka getting re-injured, Ozuna being arrested, and D’Arnaud getting hurt? Wow.
@ citizen
Braves woes have had nothing to do with the signing of Morton and Smyly. It was to do with the bullpen and letting O’Day and Melancon walk and not signing Greene earlier. Furthermore, losing Soroka was large and also losing Ozuna hurts the hitting lineup. Bullpen depth is everything in this game and the Braves paid for it losing many many one run ball games, not to mention the lottery and farce that is extra innings in regular season games.
ATL lost Mike Soroka to a career ending injury and now their entire Catching corps and opening day OF in Ozuna, Acuna and Pache. Still, the Braves seem like a pretty good team.
9-10 months puts him at mid-April to mid-May. For the sake of baseball, I’m hoping he beats that, but so long as he makes a full recovery, I can live with whatever the timeline ends up being.
I doubt that they’ll blow up the whole roster but I think it’s pretty clear they’ll be sellers now.
sign Adam Eaton he is a Philly killer
That is a big blow to baseball in general. Acuña is so exciting to follow. He is one of the best entertainers in the MLB due to beinf such a great all around baseball player
Agreed.
That’s devastating news for the Braves.. Freakin injuries..