NEW YORK -- Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. was removed from the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets with a bruised left shoulder after getting hit by a 93 mph fastball from Tylor Megill.
Leading off the game, Acuña was drilled with an 0-2 pitch. He sat on the ground for a while holding his shoulder in obvious pain while receiving attention from an athletic trainer.
Acuña then walked back to the dugout and was replaced by pinch-runner Kevin Pillar, who took the slugger’s spot in right field.
Initial X-rays were negative, but Acuña was undergoing more testing at a hospital before joining the Braves for their trip to Miami.
“We’ll know more when he gets back here,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said after the Mets won the second game 5-3 to split the twin bill.
Acuña finished a triple shy of the cycle and scored three times as the Braves took the opener 9-8 after the teams were rained out the previous two days. He launched a 448-foot home run into the rarely reached third deck at Citi Field, taking a good look at his prodigious drive before beginning an animated trot around the bases.
A trio of New York batters were plunked in the first game - Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil - although all three were just grazed by pitches slower than 90 mph.