Projected Atlanta Braves lineup after Ronald Acuña Jr. injury
By Lior Lampert
Atlanta Braves fans are officially in panic after star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a scary non-contact left knee injury against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. The slow-motion replay of it only made matters worse, leaving everyone in disarray.
The Braves later announced that Acuña was removed from the game due to left knee "soreness," leaving us little information regarding the severity of the issue. However, by the look of it, we can anticipate a stint on the injured list.
So, the next question is: how does Atlanta fill the void left by the reigning National League MVP? Acuña is having a down year by his standards but has still been productive and is obviously an integral piece for the Braves moving forward. He is batting .246/.348/.356 with four home runs, 15 RBIs and 16 stolen bases across 221 plate appearances this season.
Your guess is as good as ours. But moments like this feel like a reason the Braves brought back for a third stint with the club veteran slugger Adam Duvall this offseason after a one-year split.
Projected Atlanta Braves lineup after Ronald Acuña Jr. injury
- C: Sean Murphy (10-day IL) | Travis d'Arnaud
- 1B: Matt Olson
- 2B: Ozzie Albies
- 3B: Austin Riley
- SS: Orlando Arcia
- LF: Jared Kelenic
- CF: Michael Harris II
- RF: Adam Duvall
- DH: Marcell Ozuna
Duvall, 35, is a former All-Star, World Series champion and Gold Glove winner. Even though he may not be at the top of his game, he is serviceable. He has a .208/.311/.351 slash line with three home runs and 10 RBIs across 90 plate appearances.
Alternatively, Atlanta could slide 33-year-old designated hitter Marcell Ozuna into the outfield, where he spent the earlier portion of his career. But he looks comfortable in his role, leading the NL in homers (15) and RBIs (47).
Whatever the Braves decide, they better hope it keeps them afloat in the NL East race. Sitting at 30-20, they trail the MLB-best Philadelphia Phillies (38-15) by 6.5 games in the divisional standings. However, reinforcements could be on the way soon in the form of All-Star catcher Sean Murphy. He could be back in the lineup any day after a brief term on the 10-day IL.
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