Clubhouse Clash: Ronald Acuña Jr. Slams Braves Manager Over Kelenic Controversy Amid Rocky Start
The Atlanta Braves’ 2025 season is off to a turbulent start, and the chaos isn’t just on the field. With a disappointing 7-13 record placing them at the bottom of the NL East, the Braves are now battling internal discord after superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. publicly called out manager Brian Snitker for what he sees as a glaring case of double standards.
The drama ignited during Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins when outfielder Jarred Kelenic launched a deep shot to right field and stood admiring it — thinking it was gone. But the ball stayed in play, bouncing off the wall. Kelenic, hitting just .170, was easily thrown out at second after failing to hustle out of the box. Despite the costly mental lapse, Snitker left him in the game.
When questioned postgame on whether he addressed the lack of hustle with Kelenic, Snitker casually replied, “Was I supposed to?”
That nonchalant response lit a fuse.
“If it were me, they would have taken me out of the game,” Acuña wrote in a since-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), signaling a clear frustration with the inconsistency in disciplinary action.
And he’s not wrong. Back in 2019, a near-identical situation saw Acuña admire what he thought was a homer against the Dodgers — only for the ball to fall short. Snitker promptly benched him, making an example of the then-rising star. “You’ve got to run,” Snitker said at the time. “That name on the front of the jersey matters more than the one on the back.”
Fast forward to now, and Acuña — sidelined with a torn ACL but expected to return next month — is watching a teammate get a free pass for the same offense. The discrepancy has sparked unrest, and the spotlight is now firmly on Snitker to explain the apparent double standard.
With a struggling roster, a PED suspension for Jurickson Profar, and now a rift between manager and franchise cornerstone, the Braves have more than just a performance problem — they have a credibility crisis.
As Acuña prepares for his comeback, all eyes will be on whether the clubhouse can be mended… or if this tension will turn into full-blown turmoil.
