From the tone of Alex Anthopoulos, Brian Snitker, and others throughout the offseason, the feeling is that Spencer Strider could make his return before the end of April. Ronald Acuña Jr., however, is a little further behind… or is he?
The Braves star right fielder met with the media today to discuss his timeline and didn’t sound like a guy that’s planning on missing several months to start the season.
“No, I don’t think so,” Acuña responded to a question regarding restrictions as Spring Training kicks into gear. “I feel great. That’s the most important thing, and when they tell me to play that day, I’ll be there.”
Given the way Ronald Acuña Jr. returned from his first ACL injury, looking like a shell of himself on the way to a career-worst season, the Braves are understandably taking a much more cautious approach this time. There’s no reason to rush anything, and Acuña understands that, one of the many things he learned from his first go-round.
“I need to take it easy a little bit,” Acuña said. “When I get on base, I need Riley and Olson to go yard, and I score easy,” he joked.
Acuña isn’t going to be cleared for Opening Day, and he’ll likely miss at least a month of the season, but it feels as if a May return is very much in the cards. He stated he’s feeling around 90-95% and that the knee feels much more stable when he’s swinging the bat compared to last time, something that really affected his power in 2022.
“I feel more stable. When I go hit, I feel more stable.”
All signs point to the best version of Ronald Acuña Jr. returning when he finally does get that call from the Braves. The star right fielder has already been seen slugging 500-foot home runs in batting practice with a smile from ear to ear across his face.
That’s how you know Braves baseball is officially back.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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