Ronald Acuña Jr. is seemingly one day away from his return to Truist Park. The Braves scratched Acuña from what would have been his sixth rehab appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase reports that Acuña is en route to meet the team in Atlanta. Francys Romero adds that the Braves intend to activate him from the injured list before tomorrow’s series opener against the Padres.
It’s three days shy of the one-year anniversary of Acuña’s season-ending ACL tear. On May 26, 2024, he tore the ligament in his left knee while bluffing a stolen base attempt. It was the second time in his seven-year career that a season had been cut short by a devastating knee injury. Acuña tore the ACL in his right knee in July 2021, sidelining him for their World Series run.
Acuña made a quicker return from his first ACL tear. He was reinstated before the end of April 2022. He showed some signs of rust throughout that year, hitting .266/.351/.413 the rest of the way. That was well below his 2018-21 production. He followed with a career-best season to win the 2023 NL MVP award. He’d been out to a slower start last season, batting .250/.351/.365 across 49 games.
The Braves took things more slowly with Acuña’s second ACL rehab. He didn’t log any game action in Spring Training and has spent the first two months of the season on the IL. Atlanta sent him to their complex to begin a rehab assignment 10 days ago. He played one game there before reporting to Gwinnett, where he collected five hits and took seven walks in five games. The Braves have evidently seen enough to plug him back into Brian Snitker’s lineup, presumably in his customary leadoff spot.
Alex Verdugo has been hitting atop the order while playing every day in left field. He’s struggling offensively for a second consecutive year. Verdugo has hit .257/.314/.330 without a home run in 118 plate appearances. That’s on par with his .233/.291/.356 batting line in last season’s disappointing run with the Yankees.
Acuña has been a full-time right fielder over the past half-decade. He’ll slot back into that position, where Eli White has played his way into regular playing time. He could slide to left field and cut into Verdugo’s reps. White hit .311/.367/.600 with eight extra-base hits in April. His bat has cooled this month (.269/.310/.358 with no home runs), but that’s still a bit better than what Verdugo has provided.
White hits right-handed but has been better without the platoon advantage throughout his career. The lefty-hitting Verdugo is much better against righty pitching, as expected. Jurickson Profar will be back from his PED suspension in July. He’ll presumably return to everyday left field work, though he’d be ineligible for postseason play if the Braves qualify.
Atlanta has clawed back to .500 following their 0-7 start to the season. They’re three games back of the NL’s final Wild Card spot, which is currently held by the team they’ll welcome tomorrow. San Diego swept the Braves over a four-game set to open the year, but they’re taking a six-game losing streak into this weekend’s series.
The Braves technically only need to create an active roster spot for Acuña’s return from the 10-day IL, but they’re quite likely to designate someone for assignment tomorrow. Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II are the only hitters on the active roster who have minor league options. Luke Williams, Stuart Fairchild and Orlando Arcia are all out of options and have seen little to no playing time off the bench in recent weeks.
Happy news for baseball fans everywhere.
Says who
Me
It’s crazy how after 2025 he’ll have had 8 years and have played 140 games or more twice. One year being Covid shortened season, but still. Hopefully his knees are good to go now.
On one hand I doubt he can tear his knees again because he’s already done that
On the other hand he still has 2 Achilles tendons left…
The early word is that he is not hustling to make his Uber trip from Gwinnett and might be a little late for tomorrow’s game…
Too little, too late for the sinking Bravos.
They had a terrible start but are now back to .500 and are getting their best player back, are you ok?
They just got swept by the Nationals and have SD and Philly next. They are doneski.
The schedule is 162 games. The Padres have lost six straight. Are they “doneski” as well?
The nationals have been streaky but will probably be in the playoff conversation next year
The Friars are fried right now
Lou – They came very close to sweeping the Red Sox in Fenway, they are fine ….. all they need is bullpen help.
They have the best record in baseball after the 0-7 start. It’s a long season, but you should pay attention before trying to sound like you know something.
6th worst record in the NL. They are a bottom feeder.
declaring a season done after 50 games is silly, especially when they’re getting back a player who has the potential to be one of the best players in the league
The Nationals started out 19-31 in 2019. We all know how that turned out.
or the braves themselves in 2021 lol
24-18 isn’t the best record in baseball since then.
Sinking? After starting 0-7, they’re 24-17 in their last 41 games, which is a 95-win pace over a full season.
The braves were below .500 until the all-star break and went on to win the world series in 2021 without Acuña
I wonder if he roided in 2023. If he did they should 100% make it legal to take in baseball. These games are so friggin boring with these offenses. Bring back juiced baseball!!!
I agree.
If you think today’s offense is boring, you would have hated baseball in the 60s.
A Yankees fan would say some nonsense like this.
A 1965-69 Yankees fan? The 1968 team batted .214 and scored only 536 runs.
I was looking at overall batting averages from year to year before. Believe or not MLB from 2020-2025 was worse in batting average than 1965-1970. This is actually the worst it’s been since that 1965-1970 stretch that’s how bad these players are today.
Players are much better today. It’s more difficult to hit today for a number of reasons that include pitching velocity, repertoire, and pitching patterns, among other things.
In the 60s, most teams had several players who could barely hit the ball out of the infield. Many of these banjo hitters made all-star teams. It was easier to pitch back then because most hitters couldn’t do major damage. Today, every player in the lineup can take you deep.
Likewise, it was easier to hit because pitching was more predictable. Yet offense in the 60s was still supressed. Spend less time looking at batting averages and more time on the total package offered by modern players.
I watched plenty of 60s baseball, and, from my perspective, thinmgs weren’t better in the “good old days.” That’s true in most areas of life, not just in sports.
Much better than 65-70 but give me some 70’s, 80’s, 90’s rosters over today’s any day of the week. 70’s roster construction was so unique to each team. Hank Aaron beat you with a ridiculous snap of the wrists, Tom Seaver scraping knuckles, Nolan Ryan striking everybody out when it was embarrassing to be struck out. And then 80’s came the roids and there was just more action all over the place. And most importantly they played everyday (roids really helps with that)
Players didn’t strike out back then. They just grounded out weakly to the second baseman. Saying that banned substances, and cheating, makes sports better is an odd mountain to stand on.
Aaron, Morgan, Jackson, McCovey, Yaz, Stargell, Seaver, Ryan (throw him in for other decades too), Palmer, Bench…..come on
Take Dick Allen…pretty much Cecil/Prince Fielder clones
Lee May? That’s what you’re praying most players turn out to be these days.
Doc Ellis pitching a no-hitter on LCD? Nobody even goes 9 today!!!! Double plays? Brawls would start at 2nd base! Same for collisions at the plate.
Yeah the 1970’s sure seemed boring
@El Kabong: Lowering the mound after 1968 gave offenses a chance to finally catch up to pitching back then. Sure watched a lot of scoreless innings as a kid in the 60’s.
The the heck does this have to do with being a Yankee fan? Baseball was more entertaining in the 90’s.
What did you think only the Red Sox or Yankees had roided players? Most of baseball was on roids – pitchers and hitters and if they weren’t they were probably in the minors because they couldn’t keep up.
Do you watch minor league baseball or Major League Baseball….the answer is the MLB. Why? Because the players are stronger and better. Same goes for roided versus unroided.
And also because I’m a Yankee fan I don’t have a mind of my own? Very bigoted of you. Not a good way to live life bud.
Do you know what bigotry is?
obstinate or unreasonable attachment to a belief, opinion, or faction, in particular prejudice against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group.
“Something a Yankee fan would say”
You weren’t born a Yankees fan.
Tell that to my mom and dad bud. You think I know this crap because I had hockey fans as parents?
If I were born Jewish and became Christian or vice versa would you say the same thing to me? I have to be born something to identify as that? Birth assignment is mandatory to you huh? Can’t change your mind over the years? Hmmm
Definition of bigotry is right above amigo. Give it a study. Oh and….checkmate. Have a good night!!!
I’ll see myself out!
He was 195 pounds in 2023. So, wtf are you talking about.
Bye bye Luke Williams!
Probably the Fairchild dude. Williams plays the INF. Although the bottom four of their roster are nothing more than token white guys who the fans get all worked up about.
Smacky w/more of his racist garbage. He blocked me 2 years ago for calling him out for this c r a p.
Small tear in anticipation of him coming back to Atlanta one last time before he is traded.
you suck
so do the Braves and AA, sadly.
They sucked in the 1st half of 21 then went on to win the World series
This year will probably be another 2022 lost/bad for acuna since most players don’t make it to their previous level after 1 year
I still think he can hit 40+ homers but I doubt he’s going for 30+ steals nowadays