Acuna denies ripping Freeman during interview

Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. denied there was friction with former teammate Freddie Freeman during the pair's time together with the Atlanta Braves after it was alleged he said there were issues during a recent Instagram Live interview.

"I won't miss Freddie Freeman. We had friction. He didn't care when I was plunked. Freddie was overbearing, and he wasn't someone I could talk to ever," Acuna said, according to MLB insider Hector Gomez.

Dominican journalist Yancen Pujols, who conducted the interview, confirmed Acuna said those issues existed between the players.

Video of the quote hasn't been made available. In the below segment, Acuna admits the two often collided and that he'll miss "nothing" about Freeman.

Acuna was quick to respond to the claims he criticized Freeman, who left the Braves for a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the offseason.

Acuna and Freeman were teammates with the Braves from 2018-2021.

"When you put on a Braves uniform in that organization, there's organizational rules. You don't cover the 'A' with sunglasses, you don't wear earrings. You don't have your hair a certain length. You wear a uniform out during batting practice. You don't have eye black coming down across your whole face," Freeman told MLB Network on Thursday.

"Those are just organizational things, so I guess I was one of the older guys that did have to enforce those kinds of things in the clubhouse, but when you put on a Braves uniform that's kind of what happens. I didn't view it as any friction or clashes or anything like that. I love Ronald, I still love Ronald. I'm going to miss Ronald, my family is going to miss Ronald."