It is no secret that Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has struggled since being activated off the 10-day injured list back in late July. His numbers this season fall well short of his usual standards.
Across 81 games, the 28-year-old superstar has posted a .228 batting average, .331 on-base percentage, .731 OPS, 13 home runs and 35 RBIs. His struggles have been on full display over Atlanta’s last two games.
The Braves offense has thrived against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, taking the first two games of the three-game series, but they have done it largely without Acuna, who has recorded just one hit in the series.
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The Braves announced their lineup for Thursday’s series finale at Truist Park, and manager Walt Weiss decided to remove Acuna from the starting nine with Mike Yastrzemski taking over in right field.
While speaking with reporters during pregame, Weiss had an update on the reasoning behind the decision.
“Braves MGR Walt Weiss said he wanted to give Ronald Acuña Jr. this day off to help slow the game down for him. Obviously, he’s been pressing at the plate and there’s more chase without the walks he normally draws,” wrote Braves reporter Grant McAuley on X.
Acuna should still be available off the bench should the Braves need him in a high-leverage spot. If not, his next chance to return to the starting nine will come Friday in a series opener against the Colorado Rockies.
Atlanta faces a tough matchup Thursday with the Dodgers sending out right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, so the timing of giving Acuna a reset day may have been ideal regardless, given that he has struggled to handle the fastball, which is one of Yamamoto’s best offerings.
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