Will Ronald Acuña Jr. be all right? That question pondered on the minds of attendees at Kauffman Stadium during the recently concluded matchup between the Kansas City Royals and the Atlanta Braves. After all, the 27-year-old player gave everyone a fright when he was removed from the game after reportedly experiencing some discomfort chasing down a ball in right field.

Given that the five-time All-Star had missed most of last season with a torn left ACL, the last thing the Atlanta Braves squad and its fanbase wants is to see more absences from the player. Fortunately, he won’t be out for that long, but will still miss a few games.

According to The Galveston County Daily News, Ronald Acuña Jr. was removed from the game after experiencing tightness in his right Achilles tendon. He will now reportedly be placed on the 10-day injured list. Meanwhile, team manager Brian Snitker has shared some optimism. “It’s an Achilles thing, it’s going to take a while. He’ll go on the IL and hopefully in 10 days or so it’ll clear up.”

Still, the fact that Acuña was seen in a walking boot following the game leaves some doubt about his immediate recovery.

No sooner had the injury occurred than social media was filled with criticism against Snitker. After all, according to reports, Acuña had been feeling pain even before the matchup against the Kansas City Royals while he was running the bases on Monday.

The 2023 NL MVP has dealt with multiple serious injuries in the last four years. Therefore, in situations like these, with early warnings of discomfort, precautions should have been taken, and Acuña should have been benched. From comments like “Two examples of Snitker failing to save players from themselves in the last 40 days….,” to “Fire every single person who green lit Ronnie playing tonight,” the community openly highlighted their displeasure against the team manager and the front office.

However, as it turns out, the ultimate blame for the player’s injury oversight falls on the player himself. In a statement, Acuña revealed that “I told them yesterday and everyone said, ‘Take the day if you want it, you can have the day off’.” He cited his previous long-term absence, and said that “I’ve missed so much time already through injuries I didn’t want to miss any more time.”

But now, it feels like the All-Star outfielder should have thought things through, because he will now miss more games than he would have if he had opted to rest. It’s too late now to cry over spilled milk, though. The 10-day period will give the MLB star the rest he was initially hesitant to take. By the time he returns, he should be in good form to help out the Atlanta Braves.

In the meantime, the team still suffers from a 45-61 win record and will have to take steps to make up for the outfielder’s absence.

How will the Atlanta Braves proceed without Ronald Acuña Jr.?

According to CBS Sports, Ronald Acuña Jr.’s injury means that Braves fans could see a return of Jarred Kelenic. At the same time, due to their lack of depth, the team can rely on their next best outfield option, Eli White, who had also come in to replace Acuña during the matchup against the Royals.

Jarred Kelenic hasn’t proven himself to be too efficient on the scoring front. Throughout the 2025 regular season, he averaged .231 in terms of OBP and .531 OPS. In 60 ABs, he has managed to hit just 10 hits, while Acuña shot 60 in 196 at-bats.

Eli White, on the other hand, boasts an OBP of .297 and an OPS of .688. However, with 184 at-bat moments, he has had only 47 hits in the 2025 regular season.

Still, the Atlanta Braves have a chance to recover from the 45-61 deficit they have created for themselves. Whether Jarred Kelenic and Eli White can help efficiently in that effort is something that remains to be seen.