The Atlanta Braves avoided a major setback on Monday night after Ronald Acuña Jr. was hit by a pitch during a 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals. The star outfielder briefly exited the game, raising concern inside the clubhouse during a strong start to the season.
Braves manager Walt Weiss later delivered a reassuring update, confirming that Acuña did not suffer a serious injury. “Ronnie is OK. X-rays were negative. He’s going to be fine,” Weiss said, according to MLB.com. Acuña was hit on the left hand in the sixth inning and left the game as a precaution after initial swelling.
The Braves are already dealing with several pitching injuries from Spring Training, making any scare involving Acuña especially concerning. Atlanta also recently brought back Luke Williams on a familiar depth move, while improving its MLB-best record to 16 wins and sharing the top mark in baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Braves take cautious approach with Acuña after hit-by-pitch
The Braves chose to remove Acuña from the game after noticing swelling in his hand. The decision was made to avoid any risk, even though early tests were encouraging.
Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Braves reacts after being hit by a pitch. Greg Fiume/Getty Images
“It was swelling up pretty good, so we just got him out of there,” Weiss explained. He also noted there were no immediate plans for an MRI, a positive sign given past injury concerns involving hand hits in the league.
Atlanta offense stays strong despite injury concern
Even with Acuña’s early exit, the Braves continued to perform at a high level on offense. Matt Olson delivered a key home run, while Michael Harris II and Drake Baldwin added important hits during a big scoring inning.
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The team’s depth has been a major strength early in the season, helping them stay competitive even with injuries in the pitching staff. For now, the focus remains on Acuña’s recovery, with optimism that he could return to the lineup soon.
