Does Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker hold a double standard when it comes to players not hustling while running the bases? Ronald Acuña Jr. apparently believes so.
During the Braves’ 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins, outfielder Jarred Kelenic hit what he believed was a home run and jogged toward first base accordingly. However, the ball hit high off the right-field wall and was fielded by Trevor Larnach, who threw Kelenic out at second base.
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Had Kelenic been running hard, he likely would have easily made it to second safely. But because he didn’t run out of the box with full effort, he was tagged out by shortstop Carlos Correa. Kelenic initially appeared to elude the tag with his slide, but replay showed he was out. Yet that wasn’t the point.
Despite the lack of hustle, Snitker didn’t take Kelenic out of the game, raising many questions among fans who saw a mistake that could have cost the Braves a win. Kelenic may have scored on a single by Alex Verdugo that drove in Nick Allen. That would have given Atlanta a more comfortable two-run lead, though it didn’t matter with the Braves’ bullpen closing the game out with three scoreless innings.
Asked after the game if he said anything to Kelenic, Snitker replied, “Was I supposed to?”
That was a surprising response, considering the manager benched Acuña six seasons ago for watching a fly ball to right field that he thought was a home run hit the wall. Instead of a sure extra-base hit, Acuña had to settle for a single after walking down the base line. Snitker subsequently pulled Acuña from the game.
“He didn’t run,” Snitker said following that Aug. 18, 2019 game. “You’ve got to run. It’s not going to be acceptable here. As a teammate, you’re responsible for 24 other guys, and that name on the front is a lot more important than that name on the back of that jersey. You can’t do that. We’re trying to accomplish something special here.”
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Yet on Saturday, Snitker claimed he didn’t say anything to Kelenic for not running, nor did he bench him. Perhaps the difference is that Kelenic wasn’t running hard. Or Snitker was trying to make a statement to his then-21-year-old star for whom putting forth maximum effort was expected.
Regardless of the reason, it appeared to be a double standard from Snitker. And Acuña said as much in response to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman posting Snitker’s remark on X.
“If it were me, they would take me out of the game,” Acuña posted.
Ronald Acuña Jr. replied to a social media post from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman in which Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker appeared to hold a double standard regarding players hustling. (Screen cap from @mlbbowman on X)
(Screen cap from @mlbbowman on X)
The reply has since been deleted, but many people screengrabbed it. Not only was the response clear evidence of a major league star calling out his manager, but it was supported by Snitker’s actions from six years ago.
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Acuña is still on the injured list while recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee sustained last May. The recovery timeline has him set to return sometime next month. In the meantime, Snitker may have explaining to do with the 2023 NL MVP.
Atlanta could certainly use their superstar, even if he’s diminished by injury. The Braves are off to arguably the most disappointing start in MLB at 7-13 going into Sunday’s matchup with the Twins. As a result, they currently hold last place in the NL East, 6 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets, but just one game out of third place.
