It is a matter of when he feels ready. Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. has started his rehab assignment, getting back on the diamond for the first time since he tore his right ACL on July 10, 2021. Now he has to get back in baseball shape and learn to trust himself again.
Thus far, his rehab assignment has gone well. Entering Saturday, he was 3-9 with two doubles, two steals, two walks, and two strikeouts. While he may have been more active than the Braves were hoping, this also leads to the hope that he will be back by their targeted date of May 6.
Atlanta Braves lineup set to get major boost soon
Acuna cannot come back soon enough for the Braves. Their outfield, excluding Marcell Ozuna, has been an abject disaster. Guillermo Heredia’s 58 OPS+ is the second best mark of anyone who would be considered an outfielder on the roster. Two players, Eddie Rosario and Alex Dickerson, have an OPS+ that is in the negative range.
While the Braves are not at the point where they need to completely remake their outfield as they did in 2021, Acuna will be a major upgrade. He has established himself as one of the more exciting young players in the game, a true power and speed threat that completely changes the dynamic of the lineup.
Thus far, there does not seem to be any reason for the Braves to expect him to be slowed when he returns to the lineup. Manager Brian Snitker also pointed out that the May 6 target is subject to change depending on how Acuna feels as he plays more frequently and longer in games.
It is also fair to say that the Braves expect Acuna to literally hit the ground running. His performance at Triple-A gives plenty of reason to hope that he’ll be ready and capable of being that player once again. Maybe then, they can start to make up some ground on the Mets.
The Atlanta Braves have a target date for Ronald Acuna Jr to return to the lineup. Right now, they are aiming for May 6 for his 2022 debut.