Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. hinted at a double standard within the clubhouse after a certain mishap by a teammate led to no reprimand from manager Brian Snitker.
Fellow outfielder Jarred Kelenic was seen jogging to first base after a hard-hit ball he believed was going to be a home run. However, the ball hit the wall instead of going over it, and Kelenic panicked by trying to sprint to second base for a double instead of staying at first.
It was an ill-advised decision, as he was thrown out by a Minnesota Twins player at second base upon replay review.
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Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves celebrates his grand slam home run against Los Angeles pitcher Lance Lynn at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 31, 2023. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Now, Kelenic’s error on the basepaths didn’t keep the Braves from beating the Twins on Saturday, 4-3.
But his decision to trot out of the batter’s box when he made contact with the ball is what many were calling out on social media. If he hadn’t done so, he’s likely at second base safe instead of heading back to the dugout.
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Snitker, though, didn’t have a a problem with Kelenic.
“Was I supposed to?” Snitker said when asked if he spoke to Kelenic about that play after the game.
While Snitker didn’t see an issue, Acuña appeared to think otherwise.
Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a double against the Rockies at Coors Field on Aug. 28, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
Acuña responded to MLB.com reporter Mark Bowman’s X post about Snitker’s comment regarding Kelenic, and was clearly ticked off.
“If it were me, they would take me out of the game,” Acuña said in his post, which has since been deleted.
Acuña has history of that happening.
In 2019, Snitker benched him for mishaps on the bases, when he did the same thing as Kelenic. Acuña, though, decided to stay at first base after realizing the ball didn’t go out as he had hoped.
Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves hits a two-run homer against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Aug. 28, 2023, in Denver. (Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
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“He didn’t run,” Snitker said at the time, via ESPN. “You’ve got to run. It’s not going to be acceptable here.”
So, it’s understandable why Acuña would be upset with Snitker’s treatment of Kelenic.
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