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Ronald Acuna Jr.’s quest for a World Series championship is alive and well. His quest for a 40-40 season is not.

A day after Acuna was pulled in the third inning of a game because of what the team called right hip tightness, the Atlanta Braves announced Wednesday the injury is a hip sprain and that the outfielder will not play again in the regular season.

“The doctors looked at him and kinda felt like it’s best if we just shut him down the rest of the season, until the playoffs,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker told reporters before the Braves’ Wednesday night game in Kansas City. “It’s biting him a little bit. Just to be on the safe side … he’s not going to play in anymore games in the regular season.”

This is the second big piece of injury news in less than a week for the Braves. First baseman Freddie Freeman is out for the Royals series while remaining in Atlanta to deal with a bone spur in his elbow. Like Acuna, Freeman is considered a National League MVP contender. And like Acuna, Freeman is expected to be ready for the playoffs.

The Braves (96-62) are locked into the No. 2 seed for the playoffs, meaning they oppose will the winner of the NL Central — either St. Louis or Milwaukee — in the NL Division Series.

Acuna, 21, ends the regular season with 41 home runs and an NL-best 37 stolen bases. He was looking to become the fifth member of the 40-40 club (40 home runs, 40 stolen bases in the same season), and the youngest. Alex Rodriguez was 22 for his 40-40 season in 1998. Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds and Alfonso Soriano are the other members of the 40-40 club.

Acuna is batting .280 with 101 RBIs, 175 hits and an NL-best 127 runs.

–Field Level Media