Atlanta Braves phenom Ronald Acuna exits game with knee injury

Rookie sensation Ronald Acuna of the Atlanta Braves injured his knee sprinting down the first base line and had to leave Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox.

In the top of the seventh inning, Acuna hit a ground ball to shortstop, but managed to beat the throw to first from Boston's Xander Bogaerts.

After reaching the bag, Acuna took another step and landed awkwardly on his left foot.

Acuna was down on the field for a while, but was able to walk off the field on his own. 

The Braves say he left with knee and lower back pain as Atlanta defeated Boston 7-1.

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Predictably, that vague explanation didn't sit well with concerned Braves fans.

After the game, MLB.com writer Mark Bowman reported Acuna was in a wheelchair as he boarded a flight from Boston to Atlanta. He'll have an examination on Monday to determine the extent of the damage.

Acuna, 20, was USA TODAY's 2017 Minor League Player of the Year. He made his MLB debut on April 24 and has hit .265 with five home runs and 13 RBI in 29 games with the Braves.

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