Slow-motion replay of Ronald Acuña Jr. injury has Braves fans in disarray

The Atlanta Braves entered Sunday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 9-11 record in the month of May. That mediocre month can be blamed on a few factors, namely an inconsistent lineup and some inefficiency at the bottom of the rotation. Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia have struggled all month, while No. 5 starter Bryce Elder was demoted to the minor leagues as the Braves search for a back-end rotation solution.

On Sunday, Atlanta's problems got a whole lot worse, as Acuña Jr. went down with an injury while trying to slide back into second base. Acuña Jr. planted his foot, but appeared to twist his ankle or knee while sliding back into the base. The Braves trainer immediately came out to check on Acuña, who was writhing in pain. The slow-motion replay didn't help matters. It is linked here.

How long will Ronald Acuña Jr. be out for the Braves?

The injury update does give Braves fans some hope, as it was reported that Acuña Jr. was removed with knee soreness, rather than an immediate injury diagnosis.

Yet, as Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes, the extent of Acuña Jr.'s injury will not be known until he undergoes an MRI, which won't happen until he's back in the ATL.

Atlanta's immediate replacements for Acuña Jr. are Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic, both of whom have experience playing right field. They could also call up Forrest Wall, who was sent down a few weeks ago but has some MLB experience.

Acuña Jr. is fresh off a 40-70 season -- the first in MLB history -- in which he won NL MVP. Any long-term injury to Acuña Jr. would hamper the Braves chances of winning the NL East. The Braves have won their division every season since 2018, but the Phillies are currently up seven games thanks to a hot start to the 2024 season.