Acuña Jr. 's Arm and Riley's Recovery: A Double Play of Surprises

The Atlanta Braves had a game that was full of surprises. Ronald Acuña Jr. made a throw that left everyone in awe. It was not just any throw. It was a throw that reminded people of the legendary Roberto Clemente. The play happened in the third inning. Cody Bellinger hit a fly ball to the right-field corner. Acuña caught it and then threw it to third base. The throw was so accurate that it caught the Yankees off guard. It ended the inning with a double play. Acuña said he was just trying to anticipate the play. He said he has confidence in his arm. Manager Brian Snitker called the throw stupid accurate. He said Acuña has been a weapon in right field since he was a kid. The throw caught both Strider and Alvarez off guard. Alvarez said he wasn't trying to deke the runner. He just didn't expect Acuña to throw to third. Strider said he was asking for a new ball from the umpire when Acuña made the play. He said it was a good thing the throw was accurate. Austin Riley was also a topic of discussion. He took batting practice on Friday. The Braves hope to have him back from the 10-day injury list next week. Riley said he felt good and was ready to play. He said this injury was less serious than his strained midsection in May 2024. He said he was confused about how he got hurt. He felt it when he made a throw on a bunt play. Rookie Nacho Alvarez Jr. has been playing strong defense. He made a terrific play in the ninth inning of Friday's game. He sprinted back in foul territory and caught Austin Wells' pop-up. Strider said it was a great play. Alvarez has been struggling at the plate. He has hit . 122 with no extra-base hits, one walk, and 12 strikeouts in 11 major-league games. The Braves have been experimenting with their lineup. Jurickson Profar has been batting leadoff. Acuña has been batting third. Snitker said he likes the flow of the lineup. He said he likes Profar leading off. He said he likes Acuña batting third. He said he likes the top three of the lineup. He said he likes the idea of lengthening the lineup with Riley batting lower in the order. Snitker plans to continue having catchers Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy in the lineup together. Both have been hitting well. Snitker said he likes having both of their bats in the lineup. He said it could be a nice little tandem. Ozuna has been in a slump since late May. He has two homers in his past four starts. He has trade veto rights. Baldwin's . 830 OPS was the fifth-highest by any rookie catcher in 50 seasons at the All-Star break. Murphy had seven homers in his past 12 games before Friday.