Ronald Acuña Jr. is nearing a return to the Major Leagues, and it doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat at the plate.
Acuña went 2-for-3 with a single and a double for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday in his second rehab appearance. The Braves' star tore his left ACL on May 26, 2024, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll need much more time in the Minors before returning to Atlanta’s lineup.
Two days after homering for the Braves’ Florida Complex League team in his first rehab game, Acuña started in right field and led off for Gwinnett in Thursday’s contest against Charlotte. He ripped a 106.4 mph single through the left side in his first at-bat, popped out in the second inning and doubled on a hard-hit fly ball to the warning track in left-center in the fifth.
Acuña is scheduled to play for Gwinnett again on Friday, two days before the Stripers’ homestand concludes. He could go on the road with the club or transfer his rehab to Double-A Columbus, but either way, the superstar outfielder should be back in the big leagues soon enough.