With injuries ravaging the Braves rotation and the bullpen performing like one of the worst in baseball, the offense is going to have to carry this team until Spencer Strider returns, which might not be for another month.
Atlanta’s bats have gotten hot as of late. The stars are beginning to play like stars, and the Alex Verdugo signing late in the offseason looks like a potential game-changer. However, sustained success is still going to be difficult to achieve with the back of the lineup looking like a black hole. The Braves need Ronald Acuña Jr. back… and fast, who still doesn’t have a timeline for his return, according to Jim Bowden.
The latest on Ronald Acuna, Jr. #Braves. Atlanta doesn't have a specific timeline yet. However, he is hitting in the extended spring game today working towards getting ready to play the OF in games at some point. That’s the last hurdle, OF play but they're trying to make sure his…
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) April 23, 2025
For a while, the perceived timeline for Ronald Acuña Jr. has been a mid-May return. Some have reported that even early May could be possible, but that now looks a little aggressive.
In the coming days, Acuña will likely get some outfield work. If all goes well, a rehab assignment will begin. How long he stays on the farm could be determined by a couple of things.
Most importantly, the Braves have to make sure Acuña is healthy and able to play a full nine innings on back-to-back nights. Until he does that, they won’t even consider bringing him back to Atlanta. Ideally, they’d probably like to give him a couple of weeks to get his feet under him, but if the team continues to slide in the standings and Acuña is performing well, they may choose to move thing along quicker than they’d like.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
