Ronald Acuña Jr. Nears Return as Braves Star Begins Rehab Assignment
Atlanta Braves standout Ronald Acuña Jr. is set to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday — a major step forward in his recovery from a torn ACL sustained in 2024. While there’s no official return date just yet, the assignment signals that the outfielder is inching closer to rejoining the team.
“He’ll be evaluated daily,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “Just like with any rehab, it’ll depend on how he feels after each game. But it’ll be great to see him back out there again.”
Acuña will start his rehab in the Florida Complex Rookie League at North Port, where he’ll get reps in the outfield. From there, he’s expected to move up to Triple-A Gwinnett as the next phase of his recovery.
The former MVP appeared in only 49 games last season before tearing his left ACL at the end of May. He batted .250 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, and a .716 OPS before the injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. Snitker expressed his disappointment at the time, saying, “These guys love playing the game. It’s always tough to see something like this happen.”
In Acuña’s absence, the Braves have been rotating outfield options. On Monday night against the Nationals, Eli White got the start in right field. White has been a solid contributor, hitting .284 with two home runs and an .840 OPS across 32 games this season.
The Braves’ outfield has been hit hard this year. In addition to missing Acuña, they’re also without left fielder Jurickson Profar, who’s serving an 80-game suspension for violating the league’s banned substance policy. Profar, who signed a three-year, $42 million deal with Atlanta in January, won’t be eligible to return until late June.
Currently sitting at 19-21, the Braves are in third place in the NL East, trailing both the Mets and Phillies. But with Acuña’s return on the horizon, Atlanta may soon have the spark it needs to climb back into the divisional race.
Copyright © 2025 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes
Leave a Reply