Braves insider divulges team's plan without Ronald Acuña Jr. and the major issue with it
Alex Anthopoulos may have a busy few weeks ahead as the Atlanta Braves try to find a way to bolster their roster in the absence of Ronald Acuña Jr., who has a torn ACL after an injury Sunday. He will have season-ending surgery. This happens to be Acuña's second torn ACL.
Atlanta Braves insider for The Athletic David O'Brien reports that manager Brian Snitker will use Jarred Kelenic, Michael Harris II, and Adam Duvall as their main outfield, with J.P. Martinez as their fourth outfielder.
Snitker said Kelenic-Harris-Duvall will be regular outfield for foreseeable future, with J.P. Martínez as 4th outfielder, but I do think Anthopoulos adds a more consistent offensive corner OF before the trade deadline. Can’t count on these 2 corner OFs to produce and stay healthy
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 28, 2024
O'Brien believes Anthopoulos, Braves president of baseball operations, should add a "more consistent" outfielder before the trade deadline, noting that Kellenic and Duvall may not be able to add the needed production or offense.
According to O'Brien, "the Braves, even if they make a trade in the next two months, aren’t expecting anyone to do all that Acuña does when he’s playing at his usual level."
How was Ronald Acuña Jr. performing prior to injury?
Acuña was struggling to start off the 2024 season, but was coming around. O'Brien noted Acuña's last eight games showed a dramatic improvement as he was hitting .290 with an .849 OPS. He had two steals and four extra-base hits, including a triple and home run.
Harris was complimentary of all the hard work Acuña puts in.
"He’s changing the game. He does a lot of things that people can’t do, and he does it at a high rate. I was here last year, his numbers speak for themselves. There’s a lot of young kids and even adults out there that still want to dream that they’re like him one day.”
O'Brien believes there is no clear-cut favorite for the Braves to acquire. With his production and all of his intangibles, there is no replacing Acuña for the Braves. The hope is they can find someone to fill in the gaps and maybe add some star power. In the meantime, the team will have to rally and step up big. With so much talent on the Braves roster, players will undoubtedly step up big for Acuña and their team.
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