Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. Suffers Knee Injury, Chris Sale Shines for Boston Red Sox

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. exited Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with left knee soreness, while Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale continued his impressive start to the season with a strong outing.

Ronald Acuña Jr., the reigning National League MVP, left Sunday's game between the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning with left knee soreness, casting a shadow over the Braves' 8-1 victory.

Acuña led off the game with a double to right-center field off Pirates starter Martín Pérez. However, as Marcell Ozuna came to bat, Acuña attempted to steal third base and his left knee gave way, sending him to the ground in pain.

Acuña remained on the field for several minutes while being attended to by medical staff, pointing to his left leg before walking off under his own power. In the clubhouse, the 26-year-old outfielder was seen wearing a brace on his knee and expressed concern, indicating that he would undergo an MRI on Sunday night and expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list.

"I got scared a lot because I felt the pain in the beginning," Acuña said through a translator. "Hopefully, everything is going to go well."

Jarred Kelenic filled in for Acuña, going 3 for 4 in the game.

In contrast to the injury news from Atlanta, Chris Sale continued his resurgence for the Boston Red Sox, improving his record to 8-1 by allowing only four hits over seven innings against the Braves.

Sale struck out eight batters and allowed just one run, maintaining the impressive form that has earned him seven All-Star selections in the past. The 35-year-old left-hander has recovered from a series of injuries that plagued him in recent years.

"Just doing what I need to do," Sale said. "We all have our part on the team. Just posting every fifth day and trying to keep runs off the board. ... Take every start, you want to win. Had a couple rough ones over the last couple days. You want to end on a good note heading back home."

The Pirates also suffered injuries to catcher Joey Bart and left-hander Martín Pérez during Sunday's game. Bart was removed after the first inning with a left thumb injury, while Pérez exited in the third inning with a left groin injury.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton expressed concern about the trio of injuries, highlighting the significance of Acuña's injury in particular.

"Very, very strange," Shelton said. "The Acuña thing, I actually didn't even see it happen. I watched the replay. ... That was a little concerning for a guy that's as talented (as he is) in our game, the way he went down. Then with Joey and Martín, yeah, I don't think I've ever seen that."

Shelton indicated that he expected more information on the status of Pérez and Bart on Monday.