MLB Trade Rumors: Braves’ Outfield Plans Following Ronald Acuña Jr. Injury
The Atlanta Braves have lost Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season, jeopardizing their World Series hopes.
While the Braves may eventually attempt to bolster the outfield through a trade, Jon Morosi of MLB Network stated Tuesday that the Braves will “stay internal” with the trio of Michael Harris II, Jarred Kelenic, and Adam Duvall.
Duvall will temporarily replace Acuña in right field. He had previously platooned with Kelenic in left field.
Right now, it’s going to be quite constant, manager Brian Snitker told reporters on Monday. “This is what you see. That’s who we’ve got.
Snitker pointed out that it is a daily occurrence. I like [Ozzie Albies] against the lefty, and I might stick with him [there]. I do not know. We’ll see how everyone else is doing and what things look like on a daily basis.
Albies led the lineup in Monday’s 8-4 loss to the Washington Nationals.
Acuña, a four-time All-Star and defending National League MVP, is irreplaceable. The Braves are a bad team without him. However, they have previously proven capable of weathering storms and continue to have one of baseball’s best offenses.
There are few players in this league that are at his level, third baseman Austin Riley told reporters. It’s a pleasure to watch him every night. You feel sorry for him when you see what happened. You sympathize with him because he is such a brilliant player. I know he’ll work his buttocks hard to get back. However, replacing Ronald is not easy.
In terms of the current outfield trio, Harris is doing well (.261, five homers, 17 RBI, 23 runs, eight stolen bases), while Kelenic (.258, three homers, nine RBI, 14 runs) and Duvall (.209, five homers, 13 RBI, 12 runs) have been ordinary, despite sharing time.
Atlanta has had a difficult year, including the loss of ace starter Spencer Strider for the season. The Braves (30-21) are already six games behind the Philadelphia Phillies (38-17) in the National League East.
If that gap widens—or the team struggles to remain afloat in the Wild Card race—it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team make a more dramatic move on the trade market.
