Ronald Acuna Jr was benched during Sunday’s game for not hustling, and the Atlanta Braves superstar accepted responsibility following his team’s 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Acuna was pulled in the third inning after he admired a long fly ball that ended up hitting off the right field wall. The 21-year-old thought he had hit a homer, and his slow start to first base resulted in it only being a single. While speaking with reporters after the game, Acuna said through an interpreter that there is “no excuse” for what he did.
"There's no excuse for it. I just kind of took it and said 'Of course.' He's the manager, I'm the player and I'll respect his decisions."
— Ronald Acuña Jr. on being pulled from the game in the fourth inning. pic.twitter.com/dR8Y9RDdMK
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) August 18, 2019
Braves manager Brian Snitker pulled no punches when discussing the decision.
#Braves' Brian Snitker on his decision to pull Ronald Acuña Jr. from the game after not running out of the box on his third-inning hit. pic.twitter.com/cS9fB94oq0
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) August 18, 2019
“You’ve gotta run. It’s not gonna be acceptable here,” Snitker said. “As a teammate, you’re responsible for 24 other guys. That name on the front is a lot more important than that name on the back of the jersey. You can’t do that. We’re trying to accomplish something and do something special here. Personal things have to be put on the back burner.”
Acuna is a young player who made a mistake, and he seems to be handling it the right way. We know how much a reputation for not hustling can hurt an MLB player’s image, but Acuna has a long way to go before Sunday’s poor judgment defines him. We’d be surprised if he made the same mistake again.
