Ronald Acuna Jr. Devastated By Ozzie Albies Injury News

It took Ozzie Albies over three months to return from a foot injury. Now, after just a few days, he's already back on the shelf.

The Atlanta Braves second baseman returned to the lineup on Friday, only to suffer a broken right pinky on Saturday after diving head-first into second base in the fifth inning. Albies immediately exited the game and will miss several weeks, although there's still a chance he could return for the playoffs.

This is devastating news for Atlanta and its fans, especially Albies' teammate Ronald Acuna Jr., who emphasized Albies' importance to the defending World Series champions.

Ozzie Albies Injury Update

Atlanta Braves News

Albies' latest injury is a major setback to the Braves, who were counting on him to be a key contributor down the stretch. Atlanta currently holds a 10.5-game lead for the top Wild Card spot in the National League and trail the New York Mets by just one game in the NL East.

The Braves will now have to soldier on without Albies, as they have for much of the summer. While his absence hasn't stopped them from playing terrific baseball this year (they are 53-28 without him), the two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger recipient had the potential to be a difference-maker for Atlanta over the next few weeks.

On the plus side, Albies won't need surgery and hasn't been ruled out for the rest of the season, so there's still a chance he could come back at some point this year.

Even without Albies, the Braves still have plenty of talent and are well-positioned to make another title run. Still, it has to be demoralizing to think you're getting a key player back, only to immediately lose him again.

As it stands, New York is still favored to win the NL East with -230 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds, while Atlanta is at +170. The Braves are still in a fight, so they can't let Albies' injury crush their spirits.