For the second time this season, Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. will head to the injured list with a hamstring injury. The Braves right fielder had left Tuesday's game versus the White Sox after coming up limping attempting to beat out a ground ball.
Acuña Jr. had previously missed 16 days in May, after suffering a very similar injury in Colorado. To take his place on the active roster, the Braves made the peculiar choice to add veteran first baseman Rowdy Tellez to the 26-man roster. They also designated Jhancarlos Lara for assignment.
Atlanta today also placed OF Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring and selected INF Rowdy Tellez to the major league roster. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club designated RHP Jhancarlos Lara for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 10, 2026
Braves lose Ronald Acuña Jr. to the IL for the second time in 2026 and bring up Rowdy Tellez
While it is certainly disappointing to go at least the next 10 days without Acuña, placing him on the IL, even if his hamstring injury is less severe than it was back in May, is the right decision. This allows the Braves to replace his spot on the roster and ensure he doesn't try to rush back too early and re-aggravate his hamstring for the third time.
Still, it's pretty unfortunate for Acuña, who can't seem to catch a break this year. After getting off to a slow start to begin the year, the five-time All-Star had a great six-game stretch where he raised his OPS 26 points prior to his injury in Denver.
When he returned, he had a eight-game stretch where his OPS dropped below .700, before going on a home run barrage in Boston and Cincinnati. Although the power had dropped off in the week that followed, he was still hitting much better than when he first came back from injury. Now, with another trip to the IL, Acuña seems like he'll need to restart once again.
Eight-year veteran Tellez will replace Acuña on the roster, at least for now. The decision is a bit of a head scratcher, however, considering he will be the third left-handed hitting first baseman on the active roster, in addition to Matt Olson and Dominic Smith, and offers zero defensive flexibility whatsoever.
While the outfield is probably in a good spot for now, with Michael Harris II firmly established in center, and Mike Yastrzemski, Eli White, and Mauricio Dubón fully capable of handling the corners, it is a bizarre move unless the Braves intend on using him as a pinch-hitter for one of the catchers late in games. Tellez has slashed .259/.367/.483 for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers this season.
Jhancarlos Lara was briefly called up last season, but did not appear in an MLB game. This year, he struggled with the Columbus Clingstones, as he had eight more walks than he did strikeouts, and a 8.22 ERA.
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