Braves snub Spring Training hero with roster move after Ronald Acuña Jr. injury

The Atlanta Braves may have greater plans in mind after Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Acuña Jr. will be out for the remainder of the 2024 season, and has suffered this injury before, albeit to his other knee.

Braves players were in disarray when the news dropped, including Acuña himself, whose reaction was heartbreaking.

In the midst of a 162-game season, however, Atlanta must move forward. Acquiring a long-term replacement for Acuña Jr. makes a lot of sense, especially with the trade deadline two months away. Alex Anthopoulos can get a head start on other contending teams. Heck, the last time the Braves were in this position without Acuña Jr. long term, they won the World Series.

Who will replace Ronald Acuña Jr. on the Braves roster?

One interim replacement for Acuña Jr. could be Forrest Wall, who excelled in spring training and has some MLB experience in Atlanta, primarily as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. Wall, a long-term minor leaguer in the Braves system, has a .912 OPS in Gwinnett as of this writing. However, rather than call up Wall for another opportunity, Brian Snitker and Anthopoulos opted for JP Martinez.

Martinez entered spring training with a chance to compete for a roster spot on the Braves bench. However, that dream quickly vanished when the Braves optioned Martinez to Gwinnett, where he got off to a scorching start. Through his first 13 games, Martinez had a .340 batting average with two homers and a 1.001 OPS. He has since slowed some, hitting just .265 with a .337 on-base percentage and .731 OPS.

Why the Braves called up JP Martinez

Martinez likely got the call over Wall because he provides more power at the dish. The Cuban national was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers this winter when they signed David Robertson. Martinez, a late bloomer who signed at the age of 22, has shown some potential to be an everyday big leaguer.

Should Martinez struggle, the Braves won't hesitate to go with Wall, who has progressed quite well as a hitter, which the outfielder was quick to point out in spring training.

“It's a testament to the organization and them working with me, and then just putting in the work,” Wall said. “It's just cool to be in this position to be here now.”

Wall made the Opening Day roster, but was sent back down a month ago. Perhaps his opportunity will come soon.