The weekend was not friendly to a few of Major League Baseball’s star players and big-name teams. Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves had to leave Sunday night’s game with an abdominal strain and may end up on the injured list. Stephen Strasburg, Lance Lynn and Starling Marte were already injured and expected to miss time.
Acuna left the Braves game in Chicago in the fourth inning after scoring on a sacrifice fly. He appeared to suffer the abdominal strain while diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt. He stayed in the game after being looked at and slid head-first across the plate to score but then departed.
The Braves said their superstar outfielder traveled with the team to New York and will undergo further testing Monday. The team will then decide whether to put Acuna on the injured list.
So far this season, Acuna leads MLB in hits (26), SLG (.887), homers (seven), extra-base hits (14) and OPS (1.373) while ranking second in average (.419) and RBI (16).
Strasburg, Lynn Land on Injured List
Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg and Chicago White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn have both landed on the 10-day injured list.
Strasburg was scratched from Sunday’s scheduled start and placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. He gave up three home runs and eight runs total in his last start, a Tuesday loss at St. Louis.
Strasburg lasted just four innings in that contest while walking five and striking out three. He indicated he felt fine after the start though television cameras showed him rubbing his shoulder between innings. Strasburg threw just five innings total last season due to injury.
Lynn, off to a great start in his new home, landed on the IL Sunday with a strained right trapezius muscle. He was scheduled to start Wednesday, and the White Sox are hopeful he will miss just one outing.
The 33-year-old who came over from Texas via trade in the offseason is 1-1 with a 0.92 ERA in three starts for the White Sox. He threw 18⅔ shutout innings to start his Chicago career and has 27 strikeouts over 19⅔ innings.
Ohtani Back to the Mound
The last time we saw Los Angeles Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani on the mound, he was throwing 100 mph and hitting dingers against the White Sox. He left that game on April 4 in the fifth inning and then suffered a blister on his middle finger while preparing for his next start. The Angels expect Ohtani to return to the mound on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers.
Ohtani threw a bullpen session Saturday and passed inspection from the training staff on Sunday. He allowed three runs over 4⅔ innings against the White Sox on April 4 while striking out seven. Manager Joe Maddon indicated Ohtani will be on a strict pitch count Tuesday with a long reliever ready to go behind him.
Ohtani has still been hitting, even with the blister. In 13 games, he is batting .333 with four homers and 12 RBI while serving as the Angels’ designated hitter.
The Angels haven’t played since Friday because of COVID-19 complications involving the Minnesota Twins. Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb were the scheduled starters that missed games with Saturday and Sunday’s games being postponed.
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