Braves Concerned About Ronald Acuña Jr.’s Thumb Issue

The Atlanta Braves are currently on edge as star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. faces a thumb problem.

Acuña, who is 28 years old, was late stepping onto the field during the fifth inning of the Braves’ 9-3 victory over the Marlins on Thursday, taking over from outfielder Eli White.

Broadcast footage captured Acuña indicating his left thumb to Atlanta’s medical team just outside the dugout, and he appeared to struggle closing his hand as he prepared to return to the game.

Following the game, the Braves announced that Acuña had left with “soreness in his left thumb.” Reports confirmed that X-ray results were negative, leading to him being classified as a day-to-day situation.

It’s worth noting that Acuña was previously on the disabled list in early May due to a hamstring strain, which resulted in missed games this season.

After being sidelined for about two weeks, he returned to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Marlins, marking his comeback since his injury on May 2nd.

His performance so far has been a bit underwhelming; Acuña logged a modest .252/.364/.378 slash line across 36 games, with just a pair of home runs.

“He hasn’t quite found his rhythm yet, but when he does, it’s going to be exciting to watch,” Braves manager Walt Weiss remarked to reporters in April. “Our offense is doing well already, and if Ronald steps it up, it could be something special.”

Acuña’s history has been marred by injuries since 2023, with him appearing in 95 games last year and only 49 in 2024. He tore his ACL in May 2024, causing him to miss the rest of that season and the beginning of 2025. Additionally, he suffered a strained Achilles tendon during the 2025 season, which kept him out for roughly three weeks in early August.

As of Thursday’s win, the Braves hold the top position in the National League East with a record of 35-16.