Braves Grateful Acuna’s Injuries Not Worse As He Lands On DL

ATLANTA (AP) — Braves left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is grateful that his knee and back injuries aren’t as serious as he first thought.

Team personnel help Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. after he was injured while running out a single during the seventh inning of an interleague baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Sunday, May 27, 2018, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

“To be honest, I feel better than I did yesterday,” Acuna said Monday through an interpreter. “I just give thanks to God it’s not worse than it was.”

Atlanta placed Acuna on the 10-day disabled list with a mild ACL sprain in his left knee and bruises to his knee and lower back.

Acuna’s leg buckled while running out a grounder Sunday in Boston. He fell on his back after crossing the bag, then rolled over on his front side with what looked to be a gruesome injury. The 20-year-old surprisingly walked off the diamond, declining a wheelchair.

“I thought his season was over when it happened and I went out there,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Now it’s very optimistic.”

Acuna, who is hitting .265 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 51 games, is walking without a brace and even tried to talk his way into the lineup for the second game of a doubleheader before he was placed on the DL.

“Obviously I have some pain, and it definitely feels sore and hurts, but I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I know the pain’s going to go away.”

Preston Tucker went 0 for 3 as he took Acuna’s place in the field during the Braves’ 4-3 win in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets.

Ozzie Albies, the usual leadoff hitter, batted in Acuna’s No. 2 spot and Ender Inciarte batted first. Charlie Culberson, who won the first game with a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth, started the second game in left field.

The Braves selected the contract of outfielder Dustin Peterson to take Acuna’s place on the roster.

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