Ronald Acuña Jr.'s injury makes the Phillies' plans this season more obvious

This past Sunday, the Philadelphia Phillies' arch-rival Atlanta Braves received devastating news. Their star player and reigning NL MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr., tore his ACL on a baserunning play and will undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee.

This isn't the first time that Acuña has torn his knee ligaments. Three years ago, he suffered the same fate with his right knee.

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s injury makes the Phillies' plans this season more obvious

It's certainly sad to hear that one of the best in the game will be out of action long-term once again. But at the same time, with the Braves now severely weakened by the loss of their superstar outfielder, after already losing Spencer Strider earlier in the season, it opens the door for the Phillies to take full control of their destiny in the NL East.

Already with a commanding lead currently in the division, at 5.0 games heading into action on Wednesday, it should be a signal for the Phillies to push in all their chips in their pursuit of a World Series title.

After falling just short in each of the past two seasons, everything appears to be falling in the Phillies’ favor thus far in 2024. With their strong play by their offense, defense and pitching to date, they need to take full advantage of this season. With many players having some career years thus far, such as Ranger Suárez, Matt Strahm and Alec Bohm, to name a few, they should do everything they can to try and win it all. 

Despite his struggles, Acuña's injury leaves a big hole in Braves lineup

After putting together a historical MVP season last year in which he became the first player in MLB history to register 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a season, Acuña struggled mightily to begin 2024. He had been hitting just .250, along with just a .716 OPS, which are the lowest marks of his career.

On top of that, he was also suffering from a severe power outage, registering only four home runs and 15 RBI over the 49 games. The injury put an abrupt end to Acuña’s nightmare of a season.

But don’t count the Braves out just yet. After all, the last time Acuña suffered a season-ending injury, they rallied together as a team and ultimately brought home the championship just three years ago. The Phillies can't let their foot off the gas pedal. The front office needs to go all-in this season to maximize their chances of bringing home the franchise's third World Series title.