March 5: The Braves announced this morning that Dr. ElAttrache confirmed the team’s diagnosis of irritation in Acuna’s right meniscus. The team still expects the reigning NL MVP to be ready for Opening Day and further announced Tuesday morning that Acuna will “gradually increase baseball activities” as he builds toward that goal.
March 2: An MRI revealed that Ronald Acuna Jr. has some irritation in his right meniscus, according to multiple Braves beat writers (including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Justin Toscano). Acuna is expected to be ready for Opening Day, though he will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache in two days for further examination of his knee.
Everything seems precautionary at this point, and naturally Acuna and the Braves want to be as careful as possible given Acuna’s injury history. Acuna suffered a torn right ACL in July 2021 and didn’t return to action until late April 2022, with Acuna’s relatively down numbers (.266/.351/.413 over 533 plate appearances) during the 2022 season indicating that he wasn’t quite back to 100 percent after the long layoff.
Needless to say, Acuna was back in full form for an all-timer of a 2023 season. The outfielder hit .337/.416/.596 with 41 homers and league-leading totals in hits (217), runs (149), and stolen bases (73). With the latter statistic, Acuna became the first player in baseball history to hit 40 homers and steal at least 50 bases in a season. Acuna was a unanimous choice as NL MVP last November, and the Cooperstown trajectory is in view considering that Acuna is still only 26 years old.
More will be known about Acuna’s status after his consult Monday, and it could be that the meniscus issue indeed just costs Acuna a bit of Spring Training time. There stands a chance that Acuna might be placed on the 10-day injured list to begin the season if Atlanta feels he needs a bit of extra ramp-up time to make up for the lost spring work, which could open the door for Forrest Wall, J.P. Martinez, Eli White, or non-roster invites Jordan Luplow or Luis Liberato for some early-season playing time. The Braves’ lineup is so stacked that missing even a superstar of Acuna’s caliber wouldn’t be a big problem in the short term, but obviously the team needs Acuna fully ready as it pursues its second World Series title in four years.
Seems totally normal to visit the world leader in Orthopaedic Surgery for some irritation.
Would also seem normal to follow-up with the same world class doctor who had performed his previous torn meniscus surgery.
@YankeesBleacherCreature: Liked your comment, but Acuna’s previous injury was a torn ACL—-not a meniscus.
What’s the difference in terms of chance of needing surgery and recovery time?
A meniscus tear can often be rehabbed w/out surgery. I tore my right meniscus 3 years ago. No surgery w/8 weeks of rehab and been good as new since—-and I’m 67 years old. ACL tear’s require surgery and a much longer rehab.
Similar story here, slightly younger and no MD diagnosis, but fortunately the tear was in what’s sometimes called a Red Zone. The red areas have a good supply of blood versus the White Zone which doesn’t. Approximately 8 weeks recovery at 58yo.
When millions of dollars are at stake, it actually does.
One man’s irritation is another man’s amputation
Yes, I too prefer to seek out average doctors when the best in the world is available to me.
Ted
Excellent snark
Urgent care maybe not an option for RAJ#13. Best player on the field.
Typical drunk Irishman.
From a fantasy perspective, this will be the most watched story this spring. Every drafter going first has a serious decision to make now especially since the season starts early and most drafts will be in the next couple of weeks or so. Acuna is miles ahead of everyone else on the board so it’s going to be hard NOT to take him first, but there will a sort of gamble to it now. Hoooboy.
I sure hope Acuña Jr. gets healthy so your precious fantasy board isn’t thrown in a tailspin
Hoooboy.
As a die hard fantasy nerd myself, screw fantasy right now! lol…We need Acuna in RF and healthy, I’ll gladly give you my fantasy team for that to happen smh
Uhh…you are not die hard.
Humor is a complex concept that can be lost on many people so I get it @maxmilna….Simply pointing my fandom for the real life Braves outweighing my fantasy teams in this particular instance.
Fantasy?
SMH….
its,
Live and let live. I’m sure you have interests others don’t share. Would you like them to be so dismissive of them?
gbs42 – in this instance, yes. The fact that YOU assumed I don’t play or have an interest in fantasy sports would make you dismissive, no?
“From a fantasy perspective, this will be the most-watched story this spring”
Stop it. Plus it’s wrong, the most watched story will be Snell and Montgomery.
I’m absolutely 100% NOT wrong. That’s bananas you think Snell and Monty’s landing spot is more important than the health of the guy that’s far and away the no.1 draft pick. It’s not even close by any sense.
I find it funny that folks side eye the fantasy stuff, but if anything keeps interest afloat for alot of folks during a long season it’s fantasy baseball. When most teams tank you can still route for individual players on your fantasy team. Heck, it turned my own waning interest in the game 12 years ago completely around. I now know more about players all over and every odd stat because of it and in turn has widened both my interest and knowledge of baseball to a degree I didn’t have prior. So folks arguing who cares about fantasy when we’re still talking about the health of real life players is silly. We all still care. Your interest is in how his health ultimately affects the team you root for. There is no difference.
What fantasy do you play? Can you send me the link please ?
sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/
Thanks, that’s the one I’m currently playing with my teammates, is gonna be my first time and as I’m living in Europe lots of them don’t really know a lot of guys hahaha so that could be my winning card hahaha.
Last year I was playing in Sorare
Yahoo is generally the easiest and friendliest to play. Some other systems are a tad visually boring and overly complicated. Have fun!
You’d have to be crazy to pass on him because of this. Even fantasy championships aren’t won in April.
Ouu ElAttrache will attach his meniscus then I see i the Phillies winning the Division because of this.
Go Dodgers!
…because they’ve won a ring without him. Bryce is healthy, so odds are against them winning a ring.
This could be trouble. In an expert NL-only I play in we have a slow draft starting tomorrow morning. Unfortunately I have the number 1 pick. While a few days ago you’d have to be an idiot not to take Acuna but now, do you take that shot? Or go with a guy like Betts? Corbin Carroll? Freeman? Trea Turner? Or even the best pitcher on the board, Spencer Strider? Tough decisions to be made, for sure.
I’d think of it more in the context of if you were picking 2 or 3, would you hope he fell to you? I’d probably still take him.
I might go with Betts.
Really? Who really cares about fantasy. Demands health is more important than fantasy baseball.
For most of us reading this, the only effect it will have on our lives is fantasy baseball. Millions of humans walk around with knee problems.
Another reason we need designated runners and fielders for all positions. Hitters should hit, runners shouod run and fielders should field.
Yes, because baseball isn’t mocked enough for lack of movement/athleticism as it is…
Anthony Rendon agrees
Thankfully he didn’t use Mike Sorokas surgeon. And the thing about any kind of knee surgery basically the knee is prone to soreness and irritation and future risk of arthritis so it’s to be expected just let him rest and he will be the best player in baseball when the season starts.
Wasn’t Buxton dealing with meniscus irritation last year?
Well at least it will give Braves fans more reason to whine how baseball is unfair to them
Yes Acuna is rally good, but let hold off with the “Cooperstown trajectory” until he’s closer to 30. Remember when writers were throwing around the same accolades for :Bryant, Bellinger, Strasburg, and others so early i their careers??
I agree, but compared to Bryant and Bellinger, they’ve had a 40/70 like RAJ, right? Wait, he’s the only player to do that in MLB history.
Poor choice to make your point, given that they both won MVPs …almost before they were old enough to celebrate them, too. No question the uniqueness of Acuna’s season will carry extra weight but, so far, it does not make a Hall of Fame career.
The thing about the “Cooperstown trajectory” is that, for a century, give or take, it was only mentioned when a player collector card didn’t have room for all his stats. These days, it’s just a part of the everyday hyperbole that starts when players are still in school in some cases.
Kodion
They are perfect comps. Bellinger and Bryant, like Acuna, both won MVPs. Neither will make the HOF but Acuna will, barring injury or a Gooden-like descent into self destructive hell.
@cash3w Wait, He’s the only player to do that USING LITTLE LEAGUE BASES AND LITTLE LEAGUE RULES in MLB history.
FFTFY.
I just liked your post, given the use of excessive caps. Quite entertaining, this way back under the bridge you reside until you’re ready to speak.
The new pitch clock and pick off attempt rule helped acuna get 70 stolen bases
@hoof
K:BB
Acuna 84:80
Bellinger and Bryant, in their respective MVP years, did not come close to this ratio. Acuna is a categorically better offensive player than Bryant or Bellinger ever were or ever will be. And this can be discerned by examining virtually every metric available – not just homers and stolen bases in peak seasons.
The point is, it to early in his career to be ta.king about HOF
As a diehard Braves fan, who’s arguing that?
@AgeeHarrelsonJones Oh, so hopelessly wrong.
The first 5 years of Bryant’s career: 25.4 oWAR
The first ***6*** years of Acuna’s career: 25.0 oWAR
Hint: the “o” stands for “Offensive” WAR.
Hmm… 5 years v 6 years, and Bryant STILL beats him? Sign that check “I. Apologize,” son.
Jack Strawb
Hopelessly wrong? What do you say to people who believe in God? smh
And who needs to apologize or send a check? I am afraid you might have been sundownjng
Your analysis is typically spot on but big deal that Bryant’s oWAR WAS A fraction higher after a comparable number of plate appearances or that Acuna gets to play with cartoon style bases. Acuna will blow past Bryant on his way to Cooperstown, barring injury or self destruction
Acuna’s season was the biggest surprise. The previous 3 seasons he hit a total of 53 HRs and stole 54 SBs after his serious knee injury.. He was a 40/70 guy last year. Assuming this isn’t a chronic issue, I would be surprised if he plays 130+ games and can pull a 20/20 season out.
This ignorance of this post is hilarious. The “previous 3 seasons” you’re referencing…2020 was a 60 game season for the entire league, 2021 he only played half a season (and was on his way to NL MVP before the injury) and 2022 he was recovering from the surgery. Yes, the 70 SB were a surprise but most analysts had Acuna as the favorite to win the NL MVP before 2023 started. I think you might be the only MLB fan (well you and that trade Acuna guy) that was surprised with his MVP season. If Ronald is healthy this year he will sniff 50 HR and he was a 40 HR guy before his injury.
Please tell me you’re trolling, because you can’t possibly be as dumb as you sound…
@Goose He’ll be a fool (and was a fool) to steal like this when stealing is largely ego and when he’s had serious injury woes.
All that wear and tear and career shortening, and his baserunning in 2023 added, get this, 7 runs. To a team that didn’t need those runs during the regular season—at all.
But, sure, change the rules, make stealing far easier, make cartoon-sized bases, and you can have your ‘record,’ Sunny Jim.
Any time a manager insists “its nothing, he’ll be ready for opening day” there’s a good chance it is something & he wont be ready for opening day
What’s the manager supposed to say when that’s in fact the case?
Luckily we acquired … checks notes… David Fletcher for $20M to fill in
Hope he is ok
Irritation in the same knee he tore is not good news. Also its not only what the doctor says, or what the MRI indicates. Its how acuna feels. His bat is huge but his legs are what makes him the most special player in the world. 73 stolen bases. My god, what talent. Hope he’s fine but got a weird feeling about it
On a side note, Phillies come to a verbal agreement with Kenny Acuña…the 12 YEAR OLD brother of Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. One of his conditions was to have an annual pass to Chuckee Cheese, a mini bike and a lifetime worth of free McFlurries. Stay tuned…
The Braves’ announcement is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to downplay the severity of Acuna’s injury. Despite claiming Dr. ElAttrache confirmed their diagnosis, the lack of detailed information raises suspicions. The optimism surrounding Acuna’s readiness for Opening Day seems more like wishful thinking than a well-grounded assessment. This vague and optimistic language may be an attempt to maintain morale, but it comes at the expense of transparency and credibility. The public deserves a more candid and detailed update on Acuna’s condition, not a carefully crafted PR statement
This is sarcasm…or…conspiracy nuttiness?
@Salzilla
It’s conspiracy nuttiness,
Good to hear!
Maybe, and I’m just guessing here, Acuña “slows down” a bit, doesn’t go a hundred percent on trying to steal every bag, to keep his legs fresh for a long season. At worst, he “only” bats 300, swipes 30 bases, and has a 900 OPS on the season for like 6 WAR. I would take that production every day of the week!
I’d expect a conversation between the Braves and Acuna about not playing in the winter.
Oh yes, that’s definitely on the table. He’s still very young, but he’s putting more mileage on his legs by playing in the winter. Acuña needs to rest in the offseason to keep his legs and just overall healthy for the much more important MLB season. Besides playing in the winter is for when he had missed time and needed to get ABs, he doesn’t need that right now.
This is why it is concerning. Before last year’s 40-70 season, Acuna’s previous three years were 53 HRs and 54 SBs combined. If he is having issues he is most likely going to fall back to more a 20/30 and a wild card for stolen bases if the knee is chronic.
@Goose – to provide context for his previous 3 years (before 2023) b/c that included a 2020 mini-season and 2 seasons that were affected by one injury, so those 3 years don’t give anyone a full idea of what a healthy Acuna was capable of in a full MLB season. His only other healthy full MLB season is the best comp, though he was just 21 y/o and put up 41/37 (and we all know he’s physically matured and SB rules have changed that would most likely positively influence those stats).
Acuna vastly matured as a hitter last season. You’re discounting his increased plate discipline. Knee inflammation is manageable and shouldn’t effect his power. If the Braves want to preserve his legs, they can ask him to steal less.
Is this satire that I don’t understand?
I’m a diehard Giants’ fan, but above that I’m a baseball fan, and baseball needs a healthy Acuña.
Mlb network stated that Acuña has roughly played a total of 341 games in 682 days with regular season, spring training and winter ball. This kid loves to play, but he has to slow it down to preserve his health…And the Braves have to police that for his sake as well as the teams… He is a joy to watch. He is a breathtaking athlete whose combination of power and speed is unparalleled in the sport. We need him around long term.
Back in elattrache’a office by the AS break.
Braves lucky if he puts up 20-20 this yr
…when he has 30 hr’s and 35 sb’s at the break