Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. Knocked Down by Two Fans During Game Against Rockies

Ronald Acuña Jr. had to fend off two fans while leading the Braves to a win.

By Brian Jones

A scary incident occurred during the Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies game on Monday night. In the seventh inning, a fan ran onto the field to take a selfie with Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., putting his arm around the player before security came to get the fan off of him. But as security was dealing with the person, another individual ran onto the field and rushed toward Acuña, appearing to make contact with him, and knocked him to the ground. 

Security eventually got control of the situation and escorted both fans out of Coors Field. Acuña sat on the grass before getting up on his own power. He was not injured during the incident and was smiling afterward. But Acuña admitted that the incident was not funny at first. 

"I was a little scared at first," Acuña said through an interpreter, per ESPN. "I think the fans were out there and asking for pictures. I really couldn't say anything because at that point, security was already there and we were already kind of tangled up, but security was able to get there and everything's OK. We're all OK, and I hope they're OK."  

Braves manager Brian Snitker was asked about the incident, and he told reporters he didn't see it live since he was in the bathroom. But he did say, "You don't want to see that happen, I know that. You don't know what they will do when they get out there. It's a scary situation."

Braves outfielder Kevin Pillar witnessed the incident as he was playing left field. "I don't think they had any ill intentions. I think that was pretty evident early on," Pillar said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Still, I mean, we have these rules and regulations in place. We're supposed to feel safe on the field. Thankfully, they weren't there to do any harm."

Acuña went on to help the Braves beat the Rockies 14-4 as he hit a home run, drove in five runs and stole two bases. As of Tuesday afternoon, Acuña has hit 29 home runs and stole 61 bases this season. He is the fourth player in MLB history to have 20 homers and 60 stolen bases in one year. And with one more home run, the 25-year-old will become the first player in AL/NL history to have 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in the same season. 

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