PITTSBURGH — The offseason addition of left-hander Chris Sale to the rotation has been a rousing success so far for the Atlanta Braves, which is somewhat of a surprise considering the 35-year-old pitcher’s injury setbacks over the past few years.
He offered yet another sign Sunday of a return to the form that helped him earn seven straight MLB All-Star selections from 2012-18 before a string of injuries during the latter portion of his time with the Boston Red Sox.
Sale’s latest strong outing, though, was overshadowed by an injury to another Atlanta player: right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr., who has struggled at the plate over the first two months of this season but was the National League MVP last year after hitting 43 home runs, stealing 73 bases and batting .337 for the six-time reigning NL East Division champions.
Acuña left the Braves’ 8-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning after he injured his left knee on the basepaths, with Atlanta bouncing back after dropping the first two contests in the three-game series and avoiding a sweep.
The four-time MLB All-Star led off Sunday’s game with a double to right-center field off Martín Pérez. With Marcell Ozuna at the plate, Acuña started toward third to attempt a steal before his left knee gave way. He remained down for several minutes while being treated, pointing at his left leg before walking off under his own power.