Ronald Acuna Jr. vows to return better than ever after suffering season-ending ACL tear

Ronald Acuna Jr. is set to undergo season-ending surgery after tearing the ACL in his right knee during Saturday's 5-4 win over the Miami Marlins. 

While speaking with reporters the day after suffering the devastating injury, Acuna vowed to come back better than ever next season. 

"The only thing I can say is that I'm obviously going to put maximum effort to come back stronger than ever," Acuna said via Braves interpreter Franco Garcia during a Zoom call on Sunday, according to ESPN's Bradford Doolittle. "If I was giving 500 percent before, I'm about to start giving 1,000 percent."

The slugger added that he didn't understand the severity of the injury until the doctor told him about it later on. 

"Nothing I can do about it now," Acuna said. "I can't control things I can't control."

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Acuna is expected to miss nine to 10 months because of the injury, which means he could miss part of the 2022 season. 

The 23-year-old was supposed to start in the outfield for the National League at this year's All-Star Game in Denver. Although he can't play, Acuna told reporters Sunday that he still plans to attend the event because being selected means a lot to him. 

Before suffering the injury, Acuna was putting up an MVP-worthy campaign, leading the Braves in batting average (.283), homers (24) and stolen bases (17). He also leads the league with 72 runs scored. 

The Braves entered Sunday's game against the Marlins with a 44-44 record, four games behind the NL East-leading New York Mets. With Acuna sidelined for the rest of the year, it'll be hard for Atlanta to eclipse New York in the standings.