The Atlanta Braves’ fear regarding Ronald Acuña Jr.’s knee injury in Sunday’s win over the Pittsburgh Pirates was confirmed.
Acuña, the reigning National League MVP, has suffered a torn ACL, which an MRI showed after he had to leave the game early on Sunday. As a result, Acuña is done for the 2024 season – a crushing blow to a playoff favorite.
The Braves announced the injury on Sunday, saying "he is set to undergo surgery at a date yet to be determined and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Acuña posted to social media after learning of his diagnosis, where he apologized to fans.
"Sorry," Acuña said with a broken-heart and crying face emoji.
Acuña’s injury came in the first inning of the 8-1 victory, as he was taking a lead from second base. He went to steal third base, but immediately went down to the dirt.
The Braves likely gasped when they saw him clutch his left knee after the non-contact injury. Acuña was able to get up after several moments and limp off the field on his own power.
DAVID JUSTICE SAYS DEION SANDERS' BRAVES STINT ‘WAS NEVER A DISTRACTION’
The first update from the Braves was that he had left knee soreness, but it ended up being more serious than that.
Acuña has torn his ACL before, but his first serious knee injury came in his right leg in 2021 while jumping during a play in the outfield.
Acuña’s loss for the season is an obvious hole left in the Braves’ lineup. A four-time All-Star, he’s been a major reason why the Braves remain dominant in the National League, owning the third-best record there at 30-20.
Acuña entered Sunday with a .246/.348/.356 slash line with four homers, 15 RBI and seven doubles over 48 games.
Last season, Acuña led the National League in hits (217), runs scored (149), stolen bases (73), on-base percentage (.416) and OPS (1.012) as he captured his first career MVP.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
