MIAMI -- Barely two days after Atlanta clinched the National League East title, Ronald Acuña Jr. gave Braves fans a scare when he exited with right calf tightness as a precaution in the eighth inning of Atlanta’s series-opening 9-6 loss to Miami on Friday night at loanDepot park.

“I feel good,” Acuña said postgame via interpreter Franco Garcia. “It just felt like a cramp. But yeah, we'll just see how I come in tomorrow and [how] I'm feeling and you know, if I play.”

The ballpark where Acuña suffered his season-ending ACL tear in 2021 hasn’t been the nicest to the right fielder. In ‘21, it was a Jazz Chisholm Jr. inside-the-park homer that dealt the blow to Acuña. This time, it was a grounder from Chisholm in the bottom of the seventh inning to the right-field corner -- one that Acuña expertly ran down to hold Chisholm to a single. 

It was during that play when Acuña first felt tightness in his calf. Chisholm came around to score in the next at-bat, on a game-tying double from Garrett Hampson. The Marlins took the lead shortly thereafter, when catcher Jacob Stallings hit a bases-clearing double.

• Games remaining (15): at MIA (2), vs. PHI (3), at WSH (4), vs. CHC (3), vs. WSH (3)
• Standings update: The Braves (96-51) are the top NL division leader, meaning they would receive a first-round bye and face the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 Wild Card teams in a five-game NL Division Series starting on Oct. 7.

Acuña was set to bat third in the top of the eighth as the Braves tried to battle back. But he pulled up short as he grounded into an inning-ending double play. He didn’t even make it all the way to first base. It appeared he was OK, as he walked out to right field and into position for the bottom half of the inning. But before reliever Joe Jiménez threw a pitch, the Braves’ trainers and manager Brian Snitker walked out to check on Acuña and he exited the game, replaced in the lineup by Forrest Wall -- who entered in left field as Kevin Pillar slid over to right.

“He just had a tight calf, so, want to make sure [he’s OK],” Snitker said. “Saw him messing with it after his at-bat, so he's going to get treatment. … I don't have any idea -- I don't know how bad it is, or what it is, or anything.”

Three homers away from a 40-40 season (though he has 66 stolen bases and has already “founded” the 30-60 club), Acuña went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Friday night to eclipse 200 hits for the first time in his career. He leads the Braves in average (.337), trailing only the Marlins’ Luis Arraez (.349) for the NL batting title.

Not only did he get hits in his first two at-bats, but Acuña also walked to get on base in the top of the sixth -- then went first-to-home on a single from Ozzie Albies.

“I was looking at [Orlando] Arcia and [third-base coach Ron] Washington [as I rounded second base],” Acuña said. “But Washington told me to stop and Arcia told me to keep going, so I kept going.”

With his power at the plate and his speed on the bases -- and in right field -- Acuña is a crucial part of the Braves' lineup. But there are still just over two weeks left in the season, and plenty of time for him to prepare for the postseason. After all, Atlanta will very likely have a bye in the first round.

“I feel like, independent from whatever's happening, I want to play and be in the lineup and despite whatever pain I'm going through,” Acuña said. “But, you know, let's just see what the trainers have to say.”

For now, what’s the next step for Acuña?

“Try to play [tomorrow],” Acuña said in English.