The Atlanta Braves crushed the Colorado Rockies 9-1 in Denver on Saturday night, but the scoreboard was not what had everyone talking. Ronald Acuña Jr. pulled up halfway down the line on a routine grounder in the second inning, grabbed the back of his left leg and limped off the field, turning a blowout win into a nervous wait. The team later labeled it left hamstring tightness and said more testing was on the way.
Sale, Baldwin Power the Win
Chris Sale was in full command, giving up just one run over seven innings and striking out 11 while Drake Baldwin homered and drove in four as Atlanta built an early cushion and never really looked back, as reported by The Washington Post. The victory pushed Atlanta's strong start even further and kept the club planted near the top of the standings.
Acuña Exits With Left Hamstring Tightness
On the fateful second-inning grounder, Acuña slowed up about halfway to first, reached for the back of his left leg and then walked off after a quick visit from the training staff, according to MLB.com. The club later posted on X that “OF Ronald Acuña Jr. was removed from tonight’s game with left hamstring tightness,” and the manager said Acuña will undergo an MRI, per Sports Illustrated.
Past Injuries Raise the Stakes
Acuña already missed significant time after knee surgery in 2024 for a torn left ACL and previously tore his right ACL in 2021, so even a mention of hamstring trouble sets off alarms around the franchise, as chronicled by MLB Trade Rumors. With that injury history hanging over everything, team doctors and fans alike will be eyeing those test results before daring to guess at any kind of timetable.
What Comes Next
Eli White took over for Acuña in right field and later chipped in offensively, but the Braves said they will wait on MRI results before deciding on any roster moves or setting a return plan, according to Athlon Sports. For immediate postgame reaction and analysis, including live breakdown of the Acuña exit and the one-sided win, fans can turn to the KENS5 postcast of the game.
For now, Atlanta leaves Denver with a dominant road performance in hand and a far more important question hanging in the air: how serious is Acuña’s hamstring issue. This story will be updated as the Braves release MRI results and announce any roster changes.
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