Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring.
Acuña came up limping after an awkward stride while trying to beat a throw at first base during the fourth inning of Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Acuña, visibly frustrated, left the game, and an MRI on Wednesday showed the strain.
"Grade 1, so it's not terrible, but enough where we had to IL him," Braves manager Walt Weiss said, according to MLB.com. "We'd be waiting around a while, playing short-handed if we were waiting for it to heal. So we went ahead and put him on the IL."
He had a brief stint on the injured list last month after suffering a Grade 1 strain in the same hamstring.
"I don't think it's as severe as the last one, but still going to need some time," Weiss said.
Acuña has been off to a relatively slow start this season with a .251 average, .793 OPS, seven homers and 15 steals in 52 games, with the ailing hamstring and a bone bruise on his left thumb hampering him over the season's opening months.
His 2021 season ended because of a torn ACL in his right knee, and in 2024 he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee. Both injuries required surgery.
In between knee surgeries, the 28-year-old superstar won National League MVP honors in 2023 when he hit 41 homers, scored 149 runs and stole 73 bases, becoming the first 40/70 player in MLB history.
In related roster moves, the Braves called up infielder Rowdy Tellez and designated right-hander Jhancarlos Lara for assignment. The Braves also selected James Karinchak to the big league roster and designated fellow right-hander Carlos Carrasco for assignment. The team recalled right-hander JR Ritchie and placed reliever Tyler Kinley on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, with right elbow inflammation.
ESPN's Bradford Doolittle and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
