Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. calls out manager on social media after Kelenic gaffe

Is there trouble brewing in Atlanta?

As the Braves are off to a disappointing 7-13 start, some team drama may have leaked onto social media following Saturday’s win over the Minnesota Twins.

During the sixth inning of the game, outfielder Jarred Kelenic hit a long flyball off the wall in right field. The only issue? The former top prospect thought it was a home run off the bat, going into an early trot down the first base line and was eventually thrown out at second.

Despite the lack of hustle, Kelenic finished the game for the Braves. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker then defended the 25-year-old — who is sporting a .569 OPS on the season — after the game, saying, “Was I supposed to?” when asked if he said anything to Kelenic following the play.

The comment caught the attention of former NL MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr., who is currently working his way back to the Braves lineup following a torn ACL last season.

“If it were me, they would have taken me out of the game,” Acuña wrote on social media, in a now-deleted post, earlier Sunday in response to Snitker’s quote, as shared by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.

Acuña may have a point, as the four-time all-star has notoriously drawn Snitker’s ire for a lack of hustle in the past.

In 2019, the Braves’ bench boss benched Acuña for jogging out a ball that hit off the wall, resulting in a single and ensuing caught stealing.

“He didn’t run,” Snitker said at the time. “You’ve got to run. It’s not going to be acceptable here. As a teammate, you’re responsible for 24 other guys, and that name on the front is a lot more important than that name on the back of that jersey. You can’t do that. We’re trying to accomplish something special here. Personal things have to be put on the back burner.”

It wasn’t the only time that season that Snitker criticized Acuña for his hustle. In that year’s NLDS, Acuña similarly didn’t run out a ball off the wall and ended up with a single in the seventh inning of a Game 1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

“He should have been on second,” Snitker said after the game. “And we’re kind of short-handed to do anything about it right there. You hate to see that happen.”

Acuña had his knee evaluated last week and has been cleared to begin cutting as he continues his rehabilitation. He could return to the Braves’ lineup next month.

He was hurt after 49 games last season and hit just .250 with four home runs, one year after winning the National League MVP with 41 home runs, 73 steals and a .337 batting average.

Kelenic, meanwhile, could lose his starting job when Acuña returns. The Braves entered Sunday’s game with back-to-back wins for the first time this season as new leadoff hitter and left fielder Alex Verdugo got off to a quick start. Verdugo had four hits and drove in the go-ahead run on Saturday night.

When Acuña does return to the Braves, however, it certainly seems like a conversation with Snitker will be needed to clear the air over how Saturday’s situation played out.

— With files from the Associated Press

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