WASHINGTON -- Ronald Acuña Jr. is back.
Following Atlanta’s 10-inning 8-7 loss to Washington on Thursday night, manager Brian Snitker shared the news fans had been waiting for: Acuña was being activated off the injured list ahead of the Braves’ series opener vs. San Diego on Friday. He will bat leadoff and play right field in his season debut. Infielder Orlando Arcia was designated for assignment.
“They double checked with him [pregame] and decided, rather than him playing a game tonight in Louisville and taking tomorrow off, [he’ll] take today off and come play with us tomorrow,” Snitker said. “So that’ll be good. I mean, he feels ready, so that’ll be great. It’ll be great to get him back in the lineup.”
Acuña was a healthy scratch from Triple-A Gwinnett’s lineup before Thursday night’s game in Louisville. That gave him time to travel to Atlanta and make all necessary preparations for Friday night’s game at Truist Park.
“He’s been doing nothing but working out,” Snitker said pregame. “And the reason to get him in the outfield, not with -- the knee’s fine, it’s about the rest of his body. … He’s in great shape. He’s lean. He’s feeling really -- the biggest thing was to hear from him, how his body feels. After last night, he said his body felt great.”
Monday will mark the one-year anniversary of Acuña tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament.
He has understood the value of remaining patient throughout this year-long recovery and rehab process. Just three years ago, he returned less than 10 months after tearing his right ACL and dealt with lingering discomfort over the remainder of that 2022 season.
Acuña followed that frustration-filled experience by producing his historic 40-70 season and winning the 2023 National League MVP Award in unanimous fashion.
How quickly could Acuña gain the 2023 form? He might not run as frequently as he did in the past. This happens with many 27-year-old players, even those who haven’t undergone major surgery on both knees. But accounting for just his power potential and arm, he still has the potential to be elite for many years to come.
How will Acuña’s return immediately impact the Braves?
For the first time in a full year, they have a legit leadoff hitter
Acuña has slashed .293/.384/.533 out of the leadoff spot during his career. Is that good? Well, among all the players in baseball history who have tallied at least 2,000 plate appearances from the leadoff spot, he's the only one who has done so with an on-base percentage above .380 and a slugging percentage above .530.
Even if we lower the parameters to a .350 OBP and .500 SLG, Mookie Betts and Charlie Blackmon are the only others to join Acuña within this group.
The Braves have slashed .237/.279/.324 from the leadoff spot during Acuña’s current absence.
So, one of the least productive teams from the leadoff spot is going to fill that spot with one of the most productive leadoff hitters of all time. That’s a significant impact, when you account for how this should also strengthen the production of Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson.
“We know how electric that guy is,” Olson said Thursday night. “MVP-caliber player. To be able to get his energy back and lead off the game with No. 13 is going to be exciting.
“The way he plays is infectious. I can’t say enough about the talent of a player that he is. The things he’s able to do on a baseball field, not many people can do. And to get a guy back like that, it can only help you.”
Outfield defense
There are plenty of pitching staffs that would be thrilled to have Eli White in left field, Michael Harris II in center and Acuña in right field. Alex Verdugo helped bridge the gap created when Jurickson Profar was given an 80-game suspension for PEDs. But with White being the superior player offensively and defensively, Verdugo should primarily be used as left-handed pinch-hit option moving forward.
When Profar returns, the Braves can assess their outfield depth, keeping in mind that Profar won’t be available for the postseason.
More power
I’ll actually use this spot to make the bold prediction that Acuña will hit 25 home runs while essentially playing just four months this year. He has been hitting tape-measure shots in batting practice going all the way back to the start of Spring Training, and he has added strength throughout the long rehab process.
He also took countless swings, when swinging was one of the only things he could do while waiting for clearance to begin running drills, including those that required him to cut. I don’t think it will take him long to begin resembling the 2023 version of himself from a power perspective.