The Atlanta Braves made significant roster moves Sunday as star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was sidelined with an injury while pitcher Spencer Strider made his highly anticipated return to the mound against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
The team placed Acuna Jr. on the 10-day injured list after he suffered a strained left hamstring during Sunday’s contest. To fill his roster spot, the Braves called up outfielder Jose Azocar from their Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett.
The injury occurred during the second inning when Acuna Jr. was running to first base on a ground ball during Atlanta’s dominant 9-1 win over Colorado. He was visibly limping as he made his way down the baseline.
“It didn’t look great, him coming off the field,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I am hoping it’s just some cramping and that type of thing, but he’s getting an MRI. That’s never good when you have to get an MRI.”
The 28-year-old star grabbed his hamstring and slowed down while trying to beat out the ground ball in the second frame. After being evaluated by Atlanta’s medical team, he walked off the field on his own.
The five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP has been batting .252 this season with two home runs and nine RBIs across 34 games.
Eli White took over in right field for Acuna Jr., bringing a .196 batting average with two homers and eight RBIs in 20 appearances this season.
In a corresponding move, Strider was activated from his rehabilitation stint and added back to the active roster, replacing right-handed pitcher Hunter Stratton, who was sent down to Gwinnett after Saturday’s game.
Strider made headlines in 2023 by setting a modern MLB record as the fastest pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts in just 61 innings. However, his 2024 campaign was cut short after only two starts when he required UCL surgery that ended his season.
During his injury comeback last season, the pitcher posted a 7-14 record with a 4.45 ERA over 23 starts.
The 27-year-old Strider started this season on the injured list due to an oblique injury but is now ready to rejoin the red-hot Braves. Atlanta has captured both weekend games against Colorado, extending their league-leading 24-10 record.
Strider has historically performed exceptionally well against the Rockies, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in three career matchups, including two starts. He delivered a standout performance on September 1, 2022, striking out 16 batters while allowing just two hits over eight innings in a 3-0 victory over Colorado. Last June 14, he fanned 13 Rockies hitters during a six-inning winning effort.
