Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. experienced an unusual and potentially dangerous situation on Monday night during the seventh inning of Atlanta’s victory against the Colorado Rockies (box score). Acuña was approached by two fans who trespassed onto the field.
The first fan hugged Acuña before being tackled by security. Meanwhile, another fan made their way onto the field and also attempted to hug Acuña, but unintentionally brought him down. Here’s a video of the incident captured by a fan in attendance:
Both fans were later detained by Coors Field security.
After the game, Braves outfielder Kevin Pillar told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman that there was no indication of ill intent from the fans, but their presence posed potential danger. Acuña mentioned that those fans only wanted to take a picture with him.
Acuña, 25, entered Monday with a batting average of .330, an on-base percentage of .413, and a slugging percentage of .562, resulting in an OPS+ of 159. He had hit 28 home runs and stolen 59 bases. In Monday’s game, he recorded three hits in four at-bats, including his 29th home run of the season. He also stole two bases, bringing his total to 61 this year.
The Braves had the best record in the majors at 84-45 entering Monday’s game. In contrast, the Rockies had the third-worst record in Major League Baseball at 49-81.
