The Atlanta Braves got knocked out of the NLDS after losing Game 4, 4-1, to the Dodgers, and Atlanta fans booed everyone. But the man who bore the brunt of it was Ronald Acuña Jr., especially after his 7th-inning grounder. And he seems to have hit his breaking point with the team.
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“Ronald Acuña Jr.’s profile picture on Instagram now reads ‘disconnected.’ He’s also cleared his account of all Braves content,” reported Foul Territory after the backlash.
While the move fueled trade rumors, Acuña has not indicated any desire to leave the Braves.
As Ronald Acuña Jr. grounded out in the seventh inning, frustrated fans at Truist Park began booing their star. Atlanta needed a rally, with Michael Harris II on second base and the Braves trailing by 2 runs. Instead, Acuña’s weak groundout ended the inning. After the game, the 2023 National League MVP fought back tears while explaining why he understood their frustration.
“It’s really frustrating because they are well within their rights to boo and to say what they think and feel,” Acuña said through an interpreter.
“I didn’t do anything,” he said, talking about his own performance.
His reaction showed how deeply the elimination affected him, especially after failing to help the team when it mattered most. Acuña finished the series against the Dodgers with just 2 hits in 15 at-bats, without a home run or RBI. Across 7 postseason games, he went 3-for-24, leaving the Braves without the offensive spark they expected from their biggest star.
“I feel like I did nothing to help the team this series. You know, I’m supposed to be a spark plug for my team out there, and I never lit that fire,” he said.
While the entire lineup struggled, Acuña’s 2-for-15 stood out because he is the franchise’s biggest star. The Braves managed only 8 runs across 4 games against the Dodgers, repeatedly failing to turn runners in scoring position into runs.
In Game 3, Chris Sale surrendered home runs to Kiké Hernández and former Brave Freddie Freeman, putting Atlanta behind early. The Braves loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but managed only one run with Orlando Arcia’s sacrifice fly. Drake Baldwin and Acuña then struck out back-to-back, ending a great chance to pull the Braves back into the game.
Game 4 brought more missed chances, even when Tyler Glasnow finished his night with 5 walks. The Braves could not make those free passes count, while defensive mistakes helped Shohei Ohtani score the Dodgers’ first run. The Braves later stranded Ozzie Albies after his sixth-inning double, missing another chance to change the game’s direction.
Matt Olson went 2-for-16, Austin Riley went 0-for-13, and Acuña’s 2-for-15 in the NLDS added to the frustration. Their biggest failure for the Braves came with runners in scoring position, where Atlanta finished the series just 1-for-23.
For a player who signed an eight-year, $100 million extension in 2019, the expectations were always going to be high. Ronald Acuña Jr. is the face of the franchise, and fans have watched him deliver extraordinary seasons when healthy. His 2023 campaign brought an MVP award, 41 home runs, and 73 stolen bases, setting a remarkable standard.
That history helps explain why supporters expected more when Atlanta’s season was on the line. Acuña said his sore knee did not cause his struggles, taking responsibility instead of blaming his body.
The reaction grew more complicated after Acuña removed Braves-related posts from Instagram and changed his profile picture to “desconectado,” meaning “disconnected.” The move quickly sparked speculation about his future, although there is no proof that he wants to leave Atlanta.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has previously said, “I want to stay here my whole career; that hasn’t changed.” And this is why his removing all the posts creates more speculation around his spot in the 2027 roster.
The Braves hold $17 million club options for both 2027 and 2028, so his future remains in their hands. His social media changes raised questions, but they do not confirm a breakdown with the team or management. But we have seen before that this usually means that the player is leaving.
Bryce Harper’s 2018 Instagram post thanking Washington fans looked like a farewell and caused massive speculation among fans. And he did eventually leave for the Phillies on a 13-year, $330 million contract.
Yet Ketel Marte also cleared his Instagram feed in 2026, and the Diamondbacks did not trade him. There was speculation of his trade too. But Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo pushed back against the speculation, saying the situation was not what it appeared to be.
Those different outcomes show why Acuña’s social media move should not be treated as proof that he is leaving. For now, the clearest message came from his emotional words after elimination, when he accepted the fans’ anger. Atlanta must now look toward the offseason, while supporters wait to learn whether this painful ending changes the franchise’s future.