Acuña’s left knee injury dampens Braves’ breakout win

PITTSBURGH — Instead of celebrating Chris Sale’s latest strong start or their 8-1 win over the Pirates on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, the Braves were forced to dwell on the possibility that Ronald Acuña Jr. might be their latest star to miss extended time.

Acuña exited during the first inning with what was described by the team as left knee soreness. A true diagnosis will not be provided before the reigning National League MVP returns to Atlanta with the team on Sunday night. He will likely undergo an MRI exam and other tests after meeting with team doctors, though Acuña said after the game that he expects to go on the injured list and compared the discomfort to what he felt in May 2018, when he missed a month after sustaining a left ACL sprain trying to beat out an infield single at Fenway Park.

The uncertainty surrounding Acuña’s status put a damper on a pretty productive day for the Braves. Sale allowed one run and recorded eight strikeouts over seven innings. He bid adieu to a scoreless streak that reached 21 innings, but he got plenty of support from Matt Olson, who doubled in two runs in the fifth and then damaged Aroldis Chapman with an eighth-inning solo homer that landed in the Allegheny River beyond the right-field wall.

Still, Sale’s eighth win and Olson’s eighth homer stood as just secondary developments on a day when the injury bug might have again bit a Braves star. Acuña’s injury comes just one day before the Braves plan to welcome back both Sean Murphy and Austin Riley to their lineup. Murphy has been out with a strained left oblique since Opening Day, and Riley has missed two weeks with a tight left side.

Acuña created an immediate scare as he screamed and fell to the infield grass between second and third base. He took a big secondary lead and made a move toward third as catcher Joey Bart tossed the ball back to pitcher Martin Pérez. Acuña’s left knee seemed to buckle before he fell to the ground.

Acuña grabbed his left knee while being evaluated by the Braves’ medical staff. He limped off the field under his own power, but he had to stop briefly near first base.