Acuna is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader in Washington.
Acuna served the designated hitter in the matinee and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. The 25-year-old missed two contests last weekend with calf tightness, so it's not a major surprise Atlanta will start him for only one game of the twin bill. Kevin Pillar will start in right field in Game 2.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Joins 40-40 club
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Acuna went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Friday's 9-6 win over Washington.
Acuna joined an elite club when he launched a 379-foot solo shot off Patrick Corbin for his 40th homer, as only four other players (Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano) have hit 40 homers and swiped 40 bags in the same season. With 68 steals though, Acuna is the sole member of the 40-50 and 40-60 clubs, and 40-70 isn't off the table either. He's putting the finishing touches on an MVP-caliber season and is slashing .337/.415/.597 with 143 runs and 101 RBI over 710 plate appearances.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Two more homers, steal in win
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Acuna went 3-for-5 with a pair of solo homers, an additional run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Phillies.
After missing two games with calf tightness, Acuna's picked up right where he left off, going 4-for-9 with a double and a homer in his last two contests. The outfielder is now one homer shy of becoming the first player to join the 40-40 club since Alfonso Soriano in 2006. Acuna, the presumptive NL MVP, is batting .338 with a 1.014 OPS, 138 runs scored, 100 RBI and 67 steals through 694 plate appearances this season.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Back after two-game absence
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Acuna (calf) will start in right field and bat leadoff in Monday's game against the Phillies.
Atlanta was swept by Miami over the weekend while the frontrunner for the National League MVP Award was sidelined for the final two games of the series, but Acuna will be back in action for the start of a big three-game set with another divisional rival. Since he's been managing calf tightness of late and Atlanta has already clinched the National League East title, Acuna could receive an off day at some point this week, but his inclusion in the lineup Monday should be reason enough for fantasy managers to activate him with confidence. Kevin Pillar will head back to the bench after spelling Acuna in right field the past two days.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Sitting again Sunday
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Acuna (calf) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
It'll be the second straight game on the bench for Acuna after he exited Friday's contest with calf tightness. Atlanta has already wrapped up the NL East crown and holds a four-game advantage for the best record in the majors, so it's hardly a surprise it's being cautious with the star outfielder. Kevin Pillar will start in right field while Ozzie Albies takes over atop the order.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Won't start Saturday
Rotowire
Acuna (calf) won't start Saturday's game against Miami, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.
Acuna exited Friday's series opener with right calf tightness, and while the team called his removal precautionary, the injury will cost him at least one start. That's not necessarily a sign that the injury is worse than originally feared, however, as Atlanta's 6.5-game lead for the top seed in the National League means it can afford quite a bit of caution down the stretch. Per Paige Leckie of MLB.com, Acuna felt better Saturday morning, but the team doesn't want to take any chances and will not have him available off the bench.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Exits as precaution
Rotowire
Acuna exited Friday's game against the Marlins in the seventh inning with right calf tightness.
Acuna pulled up after grounding into a double play to end the top of the seventh inning. He went out to right field to begin the bottom of the frame, though he exited after speaking with trainers. Positively, he appears to have avoided a serious issue.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Gets aboard four times in loss
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Acuna went 2-for-3 with two walks, one RBI, one stolen base and one run scored in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the Pirates.
Acuna picked up his second steal of September while getting on base multiple times for the third game in a row. Through eight games this month, he's hitting .314 (11-for-35) with five homers and eight RBI. The superstar outfielder is up to a .336/.417/.586 slash line with 35 homers, 91 RBI, 128 runs scored and 64 steals through 141 contests overall.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Slugs two homers in victory
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Acuna went 2-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs Thursday in an 8-5 win against the Cardinals.
Acuna tagged veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright for two solo homers in the contest, bringing his season total up to 34. The All-Star outfielder already has the first 30-60 season in MLB history to his name, and he has a chance to go 40-60 if he can power up down the stretch. Acuna had been going through a rare rough patch with a 1-for-14 stretch over his previous three games entering Thursday, but he's shown this season that opposing pitchers have little chance of keeping him down for long.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Homers in third straight game
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Acuna went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Dodgers.
Acuna hasn't slowed down since achieving the majors' first 30-60 campaign Thursday, as he's homered in each of the two games since. He's gone 13-for-28 (.464) during his active six-game hitting streak, and he's even driven in 11 runs out of the leadoff spot in that span. The superstar is slashing a stunning .337/.419/.582 with 32 homers, 63 stolen bases, 85 RBI and 123 runs scored over 135 contests.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Cements MLB's first 30-60 campaign
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Acuna went 3-for-4 with a grand slam, a walk and a stolen base Thursday in an 8-7 victory versus the Dodgers.
In a meeting between the NL's two top teams -- and, arguably, between the league's two top MVP candidates in Acuna and Mookie Betts -- Acuna stole the show early with a second-inning grand slam that gave Atlanta its first lead. The long ball will go down in history, as it gave Acuna 30 homers on the campaign, making him the first player in major-league history with 30 home runs and 60 steals in a single season. The speedy outfielder raised his theft total to 62 with a swipe of second base in the ninth, furthering his MVP case in a contest during which Betts impressed with two homers of his own. The two superstars figure to duke it out for the award over the final month of the campaign.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Closes in on history with huge game
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Acuna went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, a walk, four total runs, five total RBI and two stolen bases Monday in a 14-5 rout of the Rockies.
Acuna stuffed the stat sheet with a huge performance that included a season-high five RBI. The superstar outfielder finished with his second four-hit game of the campaign, and this was also the second time this season that he's scored four times in a contest. Acuna reached 60 steals with his theft in the seventh inning, and he added another swipe in the following frame. He also hit his 29th long ball of the campaign, crushing a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Acuna needs just one more home run to notch the first 30/60 season in major-league history.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Nabs 56th steal
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Acuna went 0-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Giants.
The current favorite to win the NL MVP Award hasn't gone more than five games without a successful steal since early May, and he kept that streak alive Sunday by swiping his first bag since Aug. 13. Acuna has a league-leading 56 stolen bases on the year, including five in August, and he's slashing .325/.429/.545 on the month with four homers, 13 RBI and 19 runs in 19 contests.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Swipes 55th bag
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Acuna went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Mets.
Atlanta's franchise record for steals is 72, set by Otis Nixon in 1991, but Acuna is taking aim at it. The 25-year-old superstar has 55 this season, including 14 in 28 games since the All-Star break, and the team has 45 games left on its schedule. Acuna's also racked up 26 homers, 71 RBI, a league-leading 107 runs and a .337/.421/.574 slash line along the way.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Batting leadoff after HBP scare
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Acuna (elbow) is starting in right field and batting leadoff Wednesday against the Pirates.
Acuna was removed from Tuesday's game after taking a Colin Holderman sinker off his left elbow in the top of the sixth inning, but X-rays came up negative for any structural damage and he's right back in there Wednesday night at PNC Park. The 25-year-old superstar boasts a .339/.422/.587 slash line with 26 homers and 53 steals through 111 games this season for the runaway NL East leaders.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: X-rays negative
Rotowire
X-rays on Acuna's left elbow came back negative after he was hit by a pitch during Tuesday's game against Pittsburgh.
Although Acuna was clearly in a lot of pain after getting hit by a 97-mph sinker Tuesday, he has seemingly avoided the worst. It's possible Acuna sits out for at least a game or two in order to recover, but an extended absence likely won't be necessary.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Pulled after HBP
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Acuna was removed from Tuesday's game against the Pirates after getting hit by a pitch, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Acuna took a 97-mph Colin Holderman sinker to his left elbow during the sixth inning of Tuesday's game and looked to be in a great deal of pain before walking off the field. Atlanta will take a closer look at him and provide an update shortly, but for now, Acuna should be considered day-to-day. He's gone 1-for-3 with a solo shot, his 26th homer of the year, prior to being lifted from the game.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Keeps running in Sunday's loss
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Acuna went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Cubs.
The 25-year-old superstar has ramped up his thievery since the All-Star break, and 12 of his league-leading 53 steals have come in his last 20 games. Acuna's slashed an eye-popping .395/.500/.618 over that stretch with four homers, 12 RBI and 20 runs, and he leads MLB in the latter category as well with 99.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Third straight three-hit game
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Acuna went 3-for-5 with one RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's loss to the Cubs.
Acuna singled in three of his first four trips to the plate but was left stranded on each occasion as Atlanta struggled to keep pace with the Cubs' offense. The right fielder has now recorded three hits in each of his last three games and has multiple hits in six of his last eight. He's batting .563 to open the month of August, while his stolen base Saturday puts him eight steals ahead of Esteury Ruiz for the major-league lead.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Homers, scores four times in win
Rotowire
Acuna went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, a double and four runs scored in Wednesday's 12-5 victory over the Angels.
Acuna launched a 420-foot home run off Lucas Giolito in the bottom of the third, scoring Orlando Arcia and Michael Harris to give Atlanta an early 3-0 lead. The superstar outfielder then proceeded to get on base and score in each of his next three at-bats, coming across home plate a season-high four times in the contest. He's now recorded multiple hits in four of his last six games, scoring nine runs over that stretch to go along with six RBI.
