Ronald Acuna Jr. exited Thursday's game against the Miami Marlins in the sixth inning with pain in his left thumb, forcing the Braves to turn to Eli White in right field. The five-time All-Star had just delivered an RBI single in the fifth to extend Atlanta's lead to 5-2, so the exit stung. X-rays came back negative, but the day-to-day designation means his availability for Friday's game remains uncertain.

This marked Acuna's third game back since a left hamstring strain sidelined him on May 2, when he pulled up running out a grounder against the Rockies. The MRI confirmed the strain, and he'd missed significant time coming off a torn ACL suffered in May 2024 that already cost him 144 games over the past two seasons. Getting back in the lineup has been a slow process.

Heading into Thursday, Acuna was batting .252 with two homers and seven steals, pacing Atlanta's offense. His two hits in the Marlins game kept the Braves ahead 6-2 before the thumb issue forced his removal. Atlanta will monitor his condition closely, as the team can't afford to lose their 2023 NL MVP for another extended stretch.