Braves lose Ronald Acuña Jr. to IL, but welcome back Spencer Strider

TL;DR

The Atlanta Braves placed All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list with a strained left hamstring. Meanwhile, right-hander Spencer Strider returns from injury to make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies.

Key points

Braves have a 24-10 record, best in MLB
Acuña Jr. placed on injured list May 3
Strider activated from IL for season debut
Acuña injured while running out a grounder
Acuña has a history of injuries over the past five seasons

Atlanta BravesRonald Acuña Jr.Spencer StriderEli White

The Atlanta Braves' charmed ride to start the 2026 season - their 24-10 record is the best in the major leagues - finally hit a pothole as they placed All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list Sunday, May 3, with a strained left hamstring.

Yet the club also got positive injury news, as right-hander Spencer Strider was activated from the IL and will make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday after missing the first five weeks with a left oblique strain.

Acuña was injured Saturday running out a grounder in the second inning at Coors Field and was removed from the game. The five-time All-Star has been dogged by injuries the past five seasons, as he tore the ACL in his right and left knees in that span. He was off to a decent start this season, with a .252/.362/.378 line and two home runs.

The majority of his plate appearances figure to be consumed by outfielders Eli White and Mike Yastrzemski, while Mauricio Dubón will get more reps in left field, leaving shortstop duties to Jorge Mateo before the return of the injured Ha Seong Kim.