KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Atlanta Braves shut down Ronald Acuña Jr. for the remainder of the regular season Wednesday after the All-Star outfielder left their series opener against the Kansas City Royals with tightness in his left hip.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said Acuña was examined by the Royals’ team physician, who recommended he sit until the playoffs. Snitker said the decision is largely precautionary, and Acuña could continue to throw and hit while sitting out the final four games.
The Braves are off Thursday before beginning their final regular-season series, also on the road, against the New York Mets.
Acuña, who left Tuesday night’s game after the second inning, is hitting .280 with 41 home runs, 101 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. He also has scored a National League-leading 127 runs.
“It’s just biting him a little bit,” Snitker said, likening the injury to a mild strain. “It’s just one of those things that if he goes (hard), it could end up being something really bad if we’re not careful. So we just felt like it was better off just to shut him down for the remainder of the weekend.”