The big picture on Acuña’s season, potential injury impact
David O’Brien, Braves beat writer: The Braves heard the best words they could’ve hoped to hear late in Saturday’s game when word came from the training room that X-rays were negative on Acuña’s left hand, A broken hand could have sidelined Acuña for weeks if not months. He is quite simply the player the Braves can least afford to lose in a season that’s been disappointing for the team so far, with an erratic offense carried almost singlehandedly for the first few weeks by Acuña — the dynamic leadoff hitter who is the National League home-run leader and was the NL Player of the Month in April.
How have the Phillies pitched to him?
O’Brien: The Phillies are doing what other teams have done to try to slow Acuña, pitching him inside to try and get the slugger off the plate. If they don’t, he can literally hit any pitch on either side of the plate out of any ballpark and to any field.
Acuña hit a game-tying seventh-inning leadoff homer off Coonrod on April 11, and this was the first time he faced him since then. That homer came on a 90-mph slider on the outer edge of the plate, after Coonrod threw three sinkers middle or away. This time he faced Acuña with a runner on first and two outs in the seventh and the Phillies ahead 3-1. Coonrod threw two pitches, both up and in. The first was a 97.4 fastball, the second was 97.8 inside again and up a little higher, and Acuña couldn’t get his hands out of the way.
(Photo: Jason Getz / USA Today)
