Ronald Acuña Jr. walks off the field with trainers after his injury on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Photo: Justin Berl/Getty Images
The Ronald Acuña Jr. show is so captivating that when he fell to the dirt Sunday with a season-ending knee injury, even the Braves' rivals groaned at the reality that there would be no more episodes this year.
What they're saying: "You don't ever want to see that happen. To anyone," Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, who are ahead of the Braves in the NL East standings, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"You want to see guys have success and do good," he added, "especially a guy who's good for the game and an electric player. You don't want to see them get hurt."
Between the lines: Acuña won last year's MVP by becoming the first player in history to hit 40 or more home runs and steal 70 or more bases.
Although he wasn't playing at that level this year — batting .250 with just four home runs — he was still a stop-everything-and-watch-now player every time he stepped to the plate.
State of play: With the season nearly one-third over, Atlanta entered Tuesday's games 30-21, six games behind their suddenly gracious adversaries from Philadelphia.
