Acuña in Braves' lineup, day after was hit on on shoulder

Updated May. 2, 2023 6:08 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. was back in the Atlanta Braves lineup on Tuesday, a day after he was hit on the left shoulder and left the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets.

X-rays and additional tests at a hospital showed Acuña sustained a bruise. He was hitting leadoff and playing centerfield against Miami.

“At the moment I thought it was something more serious, I couldn’t move my arm,” Acuña said through a translator. “But thankfully everything’s OK.”

In the doubleheader opener Monday, the 25-year-old doubled, singled and hit his fifth home run, a 448-foot drive that landed on the third deck of the left-center field seats at Citi Field.

“They have asked me how I can hit the ball that far and I don’t know either, to be honest,” Acuña said.

In Acuña's first plate appearance in the nightcap, a 93 mph fastball from right-hander Tylor Megill hit Acuña.

“Thankfully, nothing happened,” Acuña said.

Acuña, who has eight home runs and an OPS of 1.031 in 33 games at the Marlins’ home stadium, said he underwent heat and ice treatments.

“Everything checked out, he wants to be back in there and ready to go,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “When he’s not there, it’s a big deal.”

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