Ronald Acuña Jr. guesses at timetable for return from non-contact injury

The whole state of Georgia held their breath on Sunday after Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a non-contact injury while running the basepaths against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Atlanta Braves star left the game in the first inning with what the team described as "left knee soreness."

Considering the 2021 injury to his right ACL that ended his season, worry was at a maximum. Fortunately, Acuña's assessment of the injury doesn't sound nearly as serious as the full tear he suffered just a few years ago.

Ronald Acuña Jr. predicts month out with knee injury

Acuña said he could see himself missing a month of action. However, the discomfort he felt on Sunday was more like what he felt in 2018 when he sprained his ACL and also dealt with a knee bruise, according to Mark Bowman. Was out for a month with those injuries but was able to come back and play the second half of the season.

Obviously that won't be confirmed until tests come back revealing the full extent of Acuña's injury.

No Braves fan wants to hear that Acuña will be out for a month, but a month is undoubtedly better than nine months or longer. An injury the outfielder can return from this season isn't the worst news.

Acuña was 1-for-1 before he was taken out of the Braves 8-1 win over the Pirates on Sunday. He's been having a relatively down season thus far, slashing .246/.348/.356 with a pedestrian OPS+ of 101 (league average is 100).

The Braves have slipped to 6.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East because of a recent rough stretch. Sunday's win was just their fourth in their last 11 games.

Reducing the gap to first place in the division will be tougher with Acuña out of the lineup. Brian Snitker and company will have to find a way to simultaneously replace him and get things going so that by the time he's back they'll be full steam ahead.