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The Braves got some bad news on Ronald Acuña Jr.’s hamstring injury.
The star outfielder is a “long way” getting back on the field, according to Atlanta beat writer Mark Bowman, who added that the “Braves will be more cautious than they were” last month when Acuña went down with a Grade 1 strain in the same hamstring in May.
When he hit the IL last month, Acuña missed nearly three weeks.
Acuña re-injured the left hamstring trying to run out a ground ball in a June 9 loss to the White Sox in 10 innings.
Ronald Acuna Jr. reacts after a successful ABS Challenge during the eighth inning of the Braves’ win over the Pirates on on June 5, 2026 in Atlanta. Getty ImagesBraves manager Walt Weiss had previously suggested that the injury wouldn’t be long-term.
“Grade 1, so it’s not terrible, but enough where we had to IL him,” he said last week. “We’d be waiting around a while, playing shorthanded if we were waiting for it to heal. So we went ahead and put him on the IL.
“Like I said, I don’t think it’s as severe as the last one, but still going to need some time.”
The injury is just the latest in a long list of leg issues Acuña has dealt with throughout his career.
He played in just 144 regular season games in 2024 and 2025 combined after tearing his ACL in May 2024.
Three years earlier, Acuna tore his right ACL, which took him out for about a year.
Lower body injuries aren’t the only thing plaguing Acuña this year after having suffered a bone bruise in his left thumb in late May, though he opted to play through the ailment.
When on the field this season, Acuña hasn’t quite looked like his MVP-like self.
In 52 games, Acuña, a five-time All-Star, has hit .251/.373/.421 with seven home runs and 15 stolen bases.
Despite Acuña’s hamstring issues, the Braves remain the class of the National League East.
After Wednesday’s loss to the Giants, Atlanta sits at 46-26, seven games up on the Phillies for first-place in the division.
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