The Atlanta Braves said Wednesday that star Ronald Acuna Jr. has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 lower right calf strain.
There is no timetable for his return, but the diagnosis takes away any fears that Acuna had suffered a more serious injury to his Achilles tendon.
Earlier Wednesday, the Braves placed Acuna on the 10-day injured list and recalled outfielder Jarred Kelenic from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his place on the roster.
Acuna first experienced discomfort in his calf area Monday night when he scored from first on Austin Riley‘s double to help the Braves to a 10-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Acuna lobbied to play Tuesday night, and Braves manager Brian Snitker assented, only for Acuna to come up limping while trying to chase down a ball in right field in an eventual 9-6 loss.
“It happened when I scored from first to home on that play,” Acuna explained after the game, speaking through an interpreter. “They are going to examine me [Wednesday], so we’ll see how it goes.”
Acuna, the National League MVP in 2023, has dealt with injuries for much of his career. He missed time as a rookie in 2018 with a sprained left knee ligament, then tore the ACL in his right knee, ending his 2021 season. Last year, he pivoted awkwardly as he was taking his lead on the bases and wound up tearing the ACL in his left knee, ending his season after 49 games.
Only twice in eight seasons has Acuna managed to play more than 119 games.
After missing the start of this season, Acuna returned May 23 and began playing at an All-Star level again. He was hitting .306 with 14 homers and 26 RBIs in 55 games, including a 2-for-4 night with a homer against the Royals on Monday night.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.