Cobb Reporter

Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. hints he wasn't sad to see veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman leave for Los Angeles last offseason.

In a recent report by MLB.com, Acuña clarified comments made about Freeman stating that some of his displeasure stems from a 2018 incident during his rookie season. At that time, he said Freeman and other veterans pulled Acuna aside and wiped the eye black off his face.

“When you come up as a rookie, there’s always somebody who wants to stick it to you,” Acuña told MLB.com. “You come with your swagger from the minor leagues. … a lot of people look at it as wrong and I don’t look at it as wrong because it’s part of the game.”

Acuña now says he holds no hard feelings for Freeman and has moved on from the incident, according to the report. When asked about the comments, Freeman told the MLB Network that the players had simply been trying to uphold organizational rules that were in place with the team.

“It’s over. It’s in the past,” Acuña told MLB.com. “All I’m focused on is recovering and getting back to ‘the show.’”

The defending champion Braves visit Dodgers Stadium April 18.