Ronald Acuña Jr. issues apology to Braves manager Brian Snitker

After a social media post geared toward manager Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. sparked controversy.

Acuña's post was about Snitker's response to a play in which Jarred Kelenic was tagged out at second base after not hustling out of the batter's box, believing he had hit a home run. Kelenic received no penalties from the play, unlike Acuña, who was benched following a similar play back in 2019.

After saying, 'If it were me, they would take me out of the game,' Acuña walked back his comments and apologized to Snitker and his teammates, as shared by USA Today's Scott Boeck.

“(I) just (want to) apologize and ask for (Braves manager Brian Snitker’s) forgiveness for what I posted and for being a distraction,” said Acuña. “Just wanted to clear the air and move on."

“I was just frustrated with my situation in the sense of my being able to return to the team. I’m coming off a second major injury, I’m in Florida away from my teammates, the team is struggling. Those were sort of the things that were frustrating me … I wanna be here (in Atlanta) my whole career. So just seeing the team and my teammates going through that and not being able to help and not being able to be with them was where the frustration was coming from.”

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Acuña is currently recovering from a torn left ACL that he suffered in May 2024. Despite his absence, the 27-year-old is still one of the best players in baseball. He is a four-time All-Star, former National League MVP and NL Rookie of the Year. Whether this social media post was out of frustration or a point of tension in the clubhouse, Acuña's return is nearing as he's already begun his rehab assignment.

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