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The Braves found themselves dealing with some internal drama over the weekend after Ronald Acuña Jr. called out his own manager for failing to bench Jarred Kelenic over an embarrassing baserunning error that has led to retribution in the past. Brian Snitker attempted to offer an explanation, but it’s not a great look for a skipper in charge of a team that’s currently in the basement of the NL East.
The Atlanta Braves had put together a string of disappointing seasons before Brian Snitker was tapped to replace Fredi González in 2016. That turned out to be a solid move for a franchise that won the World Series in 2021 and headed into the current campaign hoping to extend its current playoff streak to eight seasons.
However, that’s going to be easier said than done for a team that’s gotten off to a rough start.
The Braves improved to 8-13 after sweeping the Twins in a three-game series that kicked off last Friday, but there’s plenty of evidence that suggests the vibes in the clubhouse aren’t exactly immaculate due to their underwhelming record and some turmoil stemming from what transpired during their showdown with Minnesota on Saturday.
Atlanta was able to get the 4-3 victory in that contest, but Jarred Kelenic made things harder than they needed to be thanks to a play where he assumed he’d hit a home run in the sixth inning only to be thrown out at second base after attempting to stretch the hit that had remained in play into a double.
Jarred Kelenic so busy admiring his hit — a wall-ball he clearly thought was a bomb — that he ran into the first out in the middle of a rally in a tie game. Braves should sit him the rest of the game. Busch League. pic.twitter.com/qJRboJz3r8
— Sloan Piva (@SloanPiva) April 20, 2025
It was the kind of move that would make every Little League coach want to tear their hair out and one that led to Snitker benching Ronald Acuña Jr. when he showboated in a similar manner during a game in 2019. However, Kelenic wasn’t exiled to the dugout, and Acuña (who is still rehabbing a knee injury) chimed in by calling his manager out in a now-deleted tweet.
Snitker brushed off his lack of action in the wake of the contest before Acuña’s comment led to him addressing it again after his squad’s 6-2 win over the Twins on Sunday.
According to The Athletic, Snitker admitted he wasn’t actually watching the play in question when it transpired while noting he simply assumed Keleic would hustle in every situation, saying:
“I don’t look for him to not do that, because he plays with his hair on fire all the time and he’s laying out
And I didn’t know it till I saw this morning. I went in and I looked at it when I got here, and then I had a discussion with him and we got it squared away.”
MLB managers have plenty of things on their plate during a game, so I guess Snitker could be forgiven for not catching every single play as it unfolds. With that said, it’s a bit surprising no one else decided to bring it to his attention, and the fact that he admitted he didn’t actually know what went down until he got to the ballpark the next day doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.