ATLANTA – The Cincinnati Reds are playing nothing but star-studded playoff contenders during this final stretch of games in their going-nowhere season.
And the stars are falling. All around them.
For the third series in a row, one of the opponents biggest stars exited the game with an injury, this time Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.
in the opener of this week's series in Atlanta on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Acuña fouled a 3-1 Brandon Williamson pitch off the inside of his left shin, just above the shin guard and immediately fell to the ground in visible pain.
After being attended to by the trainer, the former MVP left the game under his own power, limping down the dugout
stairs.
Brewer Hicklen entered the game as a pinch-hitter and popped up the next pitch to third for the final out of the third inning.
The Braves announced x-rays were negative on the shin and that Acuña's status with the badly bruised shin is a day-to-day decision.
That's three stars in three series, representing a total two Cy Young Awards, an MVP, a Rookie of the Year and nine All-Star selections.
Acuña's exit comes two days after the Chicago Cubs' $175 million third baseman, Alex Bregman, a three-time All-Star, suffered multiple facial fractures when struck in the face by a foul ball while on deck. The Cubs told reporters Tuesday that Bregman would not go on the injured list and instead be evaluated late in the week for a possible return to the lineup ahead of next week's playoffs.
Two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell left his start against the Reds four days before the Bregman incident because of groin tightness. And the Dodgers said Tuesday they plan to have their All-Star lefty make one appearance before the regular season ends this weekend with an eye on his playoff fitness.
All of which makes the Reds the last team any superstitious contender might want to face right now.
Those three big fallen stars?
Doesn't even count Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, whose last at-bat before landing on the injured list with a knee injury came against the Reds on Sept. 7.
Curses.
Indeed.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Curses? Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. latest fallen star for Reds opponent
