Freddie Freeman gets emotional talking about Ronald Acuña Jr injury (Video)
By Josh Hill
Atlanta Braves star Freddie Freeman is clearly devastated over Ronald Acuña Jr.’s torn ACL that ended his season.
As the MLB All-Star break arrives, baseball is down one of its best players.
Ronald Acuña Jr suffered a torn ACL on Saturday and will miss the rest of the 2021 season. He may end up missing the start of the 2022 season, which makes the injury even more devastating.
The injury goes well beyond its impact on the Braves. Atlanta losing its best player no doubt hurts its chances of making a deep postseason run, but it doesn’t end them entirely. There are additions that can be made, trades that can be cooked up, and free agents brought aboard to help the Braves make a push; baseball has a void with Acuña out, and that’s unavoidable.
Freddie Freeman, the veteran soul of Atlanta’s clubhouse, perfectly stated just how awful Acuña’s injury is while clearly getting emotional while talking about the loss. It’s not the ball-your-eyes-out kind of emotional, but there’s clearly a ton of love.
Freddie Freeman gets emotional talking about Ronld Acuña Jr. injury
There weren’t any tears, so if you’re looking for that kind of emotion you’re looking in the wrong place. Freeman didn’t need those to get his emotion across, as he laid out all of the reasons the injury stinks for both the Braves and for the entire sport.
“I don’t even know how to put it into words, losing a guy like that,” Freeman said. “Not only for us but for baseball.”
Acuña has proudly worn the label of one of baseball’s brightest budding superstars for the last few years, but Freeman is clear to point out that his absence will prove that he’s already arrived in that regard.
“On the west coast you have Fernando [Tatis Jr] and Shohei [Ohtani], and on the east coast, you have [Jacob] deGrom, Vladimir [Guererro Jr.], and Ronald. You’re taking one of those guys out of the game of baseball and it’s just sad.”
That’s absolutely insane company to be in and is also a sign of how amazingly talented baseball’s future is.
"I don't know how to properly put it into words, losing a guy like that."
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 12, 2021
Freddie Freeman talks with @Ken_Rosenthal on how devastating it is losing Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season. pic.twitter.com/CUNmgt5VSO
Freeman went on to point out that Acuña was having an unreal season, and to have it end prematurely goes beyond its impact on the Braves.
“He’s the best player on our team, top five in the whole sport.”
Acuña will miss the remainder of this season, but baseball fans are going to miss him more.