Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. acknowledges rift with former teammate Freddie Freeman

ATLANTA — Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. acknowledged an internal rift with former teammate Freddie Freeman during an interview late Wednesday, saying there's «nothing» that he'd miss about the first baseman.

Acuna, speaking in Spanish to Dominican Republic-based sports reporter Yancen Pujols late Wednesday night on Instagram Live, was asked what he'd miss most about Freeman, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last month after the Braves had traded for Matt Olson.

«Me?» Acuna responded to the question. «Nothing.»

Acuna was then asked if he had been close with Freeman over the past four seasons with the Braves, who are coming off a World Series championship.

«We were close in that we shared the same stadium,» Acuna said, «but we had a lot of, how do you say ...»

«Lots of clashes,» Pujols interrupted.

«Lots of clashes,» Acuna said, nodding his head.

Acuna, who is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered last season, reportedly will likely address his comments before Thursday's season opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

When tweets referencing Acuna's interview began circulating late Wednesday, suggesting he had problems with Freeman, Acuna responded to one in English, posting: «I NEVER SAY THAT,» with three clown emojis.

According to the interview, the crux of Acuna's issues with Freeman, a five-time All-Star and the 2020 National League MVP, stemmed from disagreements during the 2018 season, when Acuna was a rookie.

«When you come up as a rookie, there's always someone who [wants to tell you how to do things],» Acuna said. «You come up from the minor leagues with the big eye black, the sunglasses, the hat low, and a lot of people see that as wrong. And the other person doesn't see it as wrong because it's