Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Tuesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning with a left shin contusion.
Facing Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson, Acuna swung at an inside cutter and fouled the ball off his left shin, below the knee and just above a protective guard.
Acuna appeared to be in agony as the trainer attended to him, but he eventually walked off the field into the clubhouse for X-rays that proved negative. The Braves announced he is day-to-day.
Pinch hitter Brewer Hicklen inherited Acuna’s count and popped out to third, then took over in right field.
Acuna has missed two lengthy stretches of this season due to leg injuries, but the four-time All-Star has heated up down the stretch. In his last 23 games starting Aug. 28, Acuna has batted .368 with a .429 on-base percentage and .678 slugging percentage. That includes seven homers and 20 RBIs in 98 plate appearances.
For the year, Acuna owns a slash line of .259/.352/.462 with 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in 104 games.
The Braves (92-64) entered Tuesday’s play four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (96-60) for the National League’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, so Acuna likely will be given time to heal before returning to the lineup with an eye toward being healthy for the postseason.
