LEADING OFF: Braves await tests on Acuña, MLB draft starts

A look at what's happening around the majors on Sunday:

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ANXIOUS ABOUT ACUÑA

Atlanta is awaiting test results after All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was carted off the field in tears Saturday with a right knee injury.

Acuña landed awkwardly after jumping on the warning track in right field trying to catch a drive from Miami’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the fifth inning. He slammed into the outfield wall and crumbled on the warning track, immediately grabbing his right knee while Chisholm sprinted out an inside-the-park homer.

Acuña tried to walk off but dropped back to the ground in shallow right field. Trainers tended to him while a cart was retrieved, and concerned teammates gathered quietly around him.

Tears welled in the 23-year-old’s eyes as he waited. When the cart pulled around to the nearby warning track, he had to be helped over and did not put any weight on his right leg.

“He’s in a lot of pain, I can tell you that. It’s a tough break for the team and for him,” manager Brian Snitker said.

Acuña is slated to start in the outfield for the NL All-Star team in Tuesday’s game, his third appearance. He is hitting .283 with 24 home runs and 52 RBIs for the three-time defending NL East champions, who are in second place behind the New York Mets.

DRAFT DAY

A year after Major League Baseball limited its draft amid the chaos of COVID-19, it’s set to host a revamped event as part of All-Star festivities in Denver.

The 20-round draft will span three days, with Round 1 slated for primetime Sunday. MLB moved the draft to July’s All-Star weekend, putting the opening round on its network right after the All-Star Futures Game, a showcase for the top players in the minors.

The Pirates hold the No. 1 overall pick. Vanderbilt...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-Braves-await-tests-on-Acu-a-MLB-16306609.php