This is the one time it might be worth being selfish if you’re Ronald Acuña Jr.

The Atlanta Braves have a difficult decision to make with Ronald Acuña Jr. and whether he will be available for the upcoming Midsummer Classic.

Acuña has been dealing with some back discomfort, getting scratched from Tuesday’s lineup against the Athletics.

The team and the player have tried to downplay the situation, but not only does it threaten to force him to miss more time this season, he could even miss playing in front of the home fans as Atlanta hosts All-star weekend for the first time since 2000.

Acuña himself is a bit conflicted. He wants to be there for his team, but playing in front of Braves fans at Truist Park in the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby is just as exciting.

This Braves season is in flux, to put it kindly, so there could be some added pressure about forcing Acuña onto the field before it’s safe to do so.

We’ve seen the Braves mishandle returns from injuries already this year, so if they did rush Acuña back, it’s not an outlandish move by them.

But is it truly worth it? Back injuries are a bit tricky and any further tweak could be catastrophic. The Braves and Acuña have a decision to make.

The Braves are on the very fringes of the Wild Card race, so is there really a wrong answer?

Ronald Acuña Jr. missing the All-star weekend in Atlanta would be a sour stain in his Braves career
If I’m Acuña, maybe I get a little selfish and save myself for the All-Star Game and not rush back before then.

Getting to play in the All-Star events while being the host city has to be the sort of feeling that Acuña might not have the chance to get again.

If the Braves’ season was better than it is, then I’d say the All-Star events would take a backseat. But there’s not really much for the Braces to look forward to this year.

Taking into account Acuña’s injuries over the last year, competing in the Home Run Derby would be a nice pick-me-up.

The Braves are fourth from the bottom in the Wild Card race and 13 games back in the NL East standings. There isn’t much left for Acuña and this team to play for. Once the Midsummer Classic passes, baseball in Atlanta will be boring again.

Acuña deserves one last hurrah this season.

Acuña shouldn’t force coming back for the All-Star events if he doesn’t feel healthy. But if it’s a game-time decision, it just might be worth it. Who knows if he’ll have a chance to wow Braves fans in the Midsummer Classic again while he’s in Atlanta.

Then again, if he participates before he’s ready and suffers a setback, the Braves wouldn’t hear the end of it.