5 observations from Acuña’s season-ending injury

The news hit like a blow in the gut.

Braves’ defending National League MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr., will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. Acuña is a transcendent player who has had buzzard’s luck for the past five years. However, the misfortune is not only his: Acuña is one of the most entertaining athletes to watch, but we won’t be able to see him until 2025. It just reeks.

Taking a talent like Acuña off the board has major consequences for both him and his team, as well as the entire baseball community. Here are five lessons from Acuña’s injury for the next morning.

Some might say the NL East race is over, but that doesn’t mean Atlanta’s season is.

If we’re being honest, the Phillies were already putting a significant distance between themselves and the Braves. Their division advantage has grown to six games coming into Memorial Day, the most in any division in baseball, if you can believe it. The Phillies will face a tougher schedule in the coming month, but removing Acuña from the Braves’ lineup significantly improves their chances. The Phillies have 10 games remaining against the Braves, none of which will feature Acuña, giving them a distinct advantage.

So far, the Phillies have had everything working, from a senior lineup that has been outstanding despite the absence of an injured Trea Turner and an effective Nick Castellanos, to a rotation that has been the best in baseball by a significant margin. With Acuña, the Braves faced a challenging task in keeping up with the Phillies. Without him, the Phillies must like their chances.

Not that missing out on the division title should make the Braves feel defeated; after all, they won this division by 14 games last season, and that didn’t prevent them from getting humiliated by the Phillies in the NL Division Series.

The Braves may be in the outfield market again

One of the negative parts of Acuña’s absence for the year is that we have experienced such situations before. In 2021, the Braves lost Acuña due to an ACL tear in his right knee. As is currently happening in the aftermath of this recent injury, many people wrote off the Braves’ chances that season. But one person didn’t: Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who brought in a slew of outfield reinforcements, including Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, the NL Championship Series MVP that season, and Jorge Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP. That outfield Voltron propelled the Braves to their first championship since 1995.

The question is whether or not there’s the inventory for Anthopoulos to pull such a coup again.

The top outfielder on the market is likely to be Tommy Pham of the White Sox, while the Angels may also trade Jo Adell. If the Braves were feeling daring, they could look into Pham’s teammate, Luis Robert, who is now on the IL. Atlanta has internal possibilities, including Duvall (who re-signed for his third term in March) and Minor Leaguers like J.P. Martínez and Forrest Wall, who were on the Opening Day roster and have performed well at Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves have proved their ability to replace Acuña and maybe win a World Series.

Austin Riley is coming back just in time

The All-Star Braves third baseman has been out since May 12 due to an intercostal strain, but he is set to return Monday against the Nationals. Riley, formerly regarded as a slugger with no plate discipline, has transformed himself into a star. Did you know he’s the only NL player to finish in the Top 10 in MVP voting each of the last three seasons? He got off to a sluggish start (for him) before suffering the injury, but he appears to be back on track and ready to go.

Riley exemplifies the Braves’ recent success in that he rarely gets injured; he played 160 games in 2021, as well as 159 in ’22 and ’23. That has clearly blown up now. Riley’s presence in the middle of the order, along with Marcell Ozuna’s resurgence, is crucial for the Braves, who already have a strong lineup. You cannot replace Acuña. Riley’s comeback on the same day as Acuña’s injury is a fortunate coincidence.

You can’t help but wonder what we’ve already lost with Acuña

Acuña and Juan Soto were named “it’s not too soon to call them legends” by MLB.com earlier this year as future Hall of Famers. But there was a caveat: “barring serious injury.” Acuña sustained another significant injury. Over the past five years, Acuña has been one of the most captivating baseball players in recent memory.