Ronald Acuna Jr was removed in the sixth inning of Thursday's game against the Miami Marlins after experiencing pain in his left thumb, the Braves said, calling the move a precaution.
Acuña had two hits in the game and drove in a run with an RBI single in the fifth inning that put Atlanta ahead 5-2. The Braves were leading 6-2 when he exited in the sixth, and Eli White replaced him in right field. Acuña also appeared to have his thumb examined during the fifth inning before he left.
The removal came in Acuña's third game back after a left hamstring strain that sidelined him following an appearance on May 2. On that date he left a game against the Rockies in the second inning with hamstring tightness; an MRI later revealed a left hamstring strain.
Thursday's timeline is part of a larger availability picture for Acuña. He had played in the first 34 games of the year after a torn ACL suffered in May 2024 limited him to a combined 144 games over the past two seasons. This season he was batting.252 with two homers and a team-high seven steals, and he remains a five-time All-Star and the 2023 NL MVP.
The Braves characterized Thursday's move as precautionary, but the sequence is notable: Acuña returned from a hamstring strain only days ago and then left after a thumb issue surfaced midgame. The two hits and the go-ahead RBI in the fifth offered a reminder of his offensive impact; the midgame exam and subsequent removal underscored the club's caution.
For now Acuña is out of Thursday's contest and the Braves will monitor the left thumb. The immediate consequence was a defensive and lineup change late in a game Atlanta led 6-2; longer-term, the episode joins a series of health interruptions that have limited his availability since May 2024.
The clear conclusion from Thursday's play is that Acuña's return remains fragile: a fresh thumb problem, even treated as a precaution, sharpens the question of whether the Braves will be able to rely on him consistently after a torn ACL, a hamstring strain and a limited 34-game start to this season.
