The Atlanta Braves can heap a sigh of relief at last. The ridiculously stacked team was on the verge of losing its superstar, Ronald Acuna Jr. to an injury a few days ago. A cloud of concern hung over everyone as Ronald Acuña Jr. headed to California, fueled by anxieties about a potential return of his knee injury. However, the slugger returned with a happy face. His injury was just an “irritation” but that could’ve been more.

That is the issue that the Braves and Acuna Jr. are dealing with today. The injury history of the NL MVP has led to even minor pain making the team panic: last season, Acuna Jr. did something so historical it may not be done again – he had a 40-70 season. However, this year he’s “trying to be better.” But can he stay fit for long enough to turn those thoughts into a reality?

At 26, Acuna Jr. has done quite a few remarkable things in the ballpark. However, even after years of playing, his passion for baseball hasn’t lessened an inch. The superstar still finds ways to play the sport even during the offseason. Acuna Jr’s passion can be understood by the way he talked to the New York Post recently. “They (Braves) will tell me when I can play. I play hard, no matter what happens. Every day, I play hard. It’s what I do,” said Acuna Jr.

It’s this hard and aggressive play of Acuna Jr. that allowed him to steal 73 bases and score 41 homers last season. While that is an extraordinary record (no other 40-40 member has stolen more than 50 bases), it also shows the inherent risk-taking abilities of the 26-year-old. But that is one reason why predicting another MVP season has become so difficult. Stealing bases is a risky prospect and can cause injuries. 

Injuries may be the one thing that keeps Acuna Jr. from consecutive MVP awards. His deep injury report is enough to understand the risk.

Ronald Acuna Jr.’s Nonstop Nightmare: Breaking Down 30 Injuries In 5 Years

Ronald Acuna Jr’s aggressive approach – a risk to his back-to-back MVP aspirations

Between 2021 and 2023, Acuna Jr. injured his finger, ankle, back, pectoral, knees, groin, elbow, and shoulders. These are a wide variety of injuries, nearly every body part of Ronald Acuna Jr. has been injured once. That increases the risk of further injuries tremendously. Add to that his trademark aggressive running, Acuna Jr. is always on the edge and that’s the way he likes it.

So when things go according to the plan, Acuna Jr. becomes a generational player. He has no peers for athleticism and stolen bases. However, when things go wrong, they tend to go horribly wrong. It’s between these extremes that Acuna Jr. operates. 

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So even if the Braves have taken a sigh of relief right now, they will have to remain on alert mode throughout this season. Luckily, they’ve already shown signs of it by delaying their superstar’s return to the ballpark in the Spring Training.

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