Braves Report: Ronald Acuña Jr. update

Hello, all. It’s Ken Sugiura sitting in for Tyler Estep, the esteemed helmsman of the Braves Report.

Fortunately for you, he’ll be back next week.

So, Braves fans, how does a 4½-game division lead sound?

After taking three of four from San Diego, the Braves have won their first two series since the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies have lost two, and now what was a two-game lead at the break has expanded.

There’s a prime opportunity for the Braves to keep building. Their next two series are at Baltimore (50-53) and the New York Mets (43-60), while Philadelphia is home against the New York Yankees (57-45) and then on the road against the Miami Marlins (52-51, including 31-20 at home).

ACUÑA FINE AFTER WORRISOME AT-BAT

Credit: AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Credit: AP Photo/Mike Stewart

The fan base experienced a mild panic attack Thursday night after a video of Ronald Acuña Jr. hobbling after a strikeout during his Triple-A Gwinnett rehab assignment made the rounds on X. He has been with the Stripers as he returns from a hamstring strain.

Acuña swung and missed and hopped on his left leg before walking tenderly back to the dugout.

Word from the Braves is that he is “fine” after his right cleat caught the dirt and was expected to play Friday night in Lawrenceville.

The team is working on a day-to-day basis with Acuña, who has been out since June 9 with the hamstring injury, with no set return date.

THE LATEST FROM CHAD (BISHOP, NOT THE COUNTRY)

Braves beat writer Chad Bishop filed a story Friday morning setting up the upcoming series in Baltimore. Hear from Walt Weiss, Chris Sale and Dominic Smith.

From Weiss: “Guys still show up the right way, still prepare the right way. That’s all you can do. There’s nothing else you can do. When you go out and compete, whatever happens, happens. But I don’t ever have to worry about this group. They take care of themselves.”

SEAN MURPHY REHABBING (AGAIN)

Catcher Sean Murphy will join the rehabbing crew at Gwinnett, where Ha-Seong Kim and AJ Smith-Shawver are also on rehab assignments with Acuña.

Murphy will begin his rehab assignment Friday after breaking his finger in May, as Chad reported Thursday.

Murphy, as you probably know, has had an incredibly rough go with injury luck. He missed more than a month to start the year after offseason hip surgery and then played all of four games before his finger injury.

Per MLB rules, his rehab assignment can last up to 20 days, although the Braves’ tendency is for those stints to not last that long.

A LONG-AWAITED BOMB FROM DOMINIC SMITH

The Braves’ 6-5 win over the Padres on Thursday was highlighted by Chris Sale’s dominant six-inning start. (It was a continuation of excellence that, according to a certain columnist, compels the Braves to act before the trade deadline.)

But outfielder Dominic Smith made his own waves with his first home run since June 6.

It has been a prolonged dry spell for the 31-year-old Smith, most memorable for his walk-off grand slam in his Braves debut on March 28.

From June 1 through Wednesday, he hit .181 with one home run and three extra-base hits in 110 at-bats. His OPS was .507. To that point, he had hit .325 with an .852 OPS, five home runs and 10 extra-base hits in 123 at-bats.

So his three-run blast, which put the Braves ahead for good, was quite welcome.

Intern Fisher Isbell had the story from Thursday.

BRAVES TRIVIA!

What is the depth of your Braves knowledge? Baby pool or diving well?

Try out this trivia question to measure it: Who is the club’s all-time leader in triples?

Answer below:

RANDOM BRAVES FACT

Braves batters have been hit by a pitch 14 times this month. Even with eight games remaining in the month, it’s a franchise record for HBP for the month of July, according to Stathead.

Drake Baldwin, Joey Bart and Austin Riley have set the sacrificial pace with three beanings each. Bart has scored his hat trick in a mere 26 plate appearances.

The club record for any month — as if I have to tell you — is 18, set in May 2017 and June 2019.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

BRAVES TRIVIA ANSWER!

The Braves’ all-time triples leader is, of course, Rabbit Maranville, who hit 103 with the Braves in his Hall of Fame career, seven more than second-place Aaron. If you’re wondering, Nixon (seven) and Carty (14) aren’t even close.

Maranville, who played from 1912 to 1935, is recognized as an exceptional defensive shortstop. Also, Aaron is fourth in career triples among members of the 500-home run club, following Willie Mays, Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx.

You can take the rest of our Braves quiz here.

If you get a perfect score, Chad will let you contribute every third word to his next game story.

Thanks for reading Braves Report. Tell a friend — and maybe give the Win Column newsletter a shot, too.

Until next time.