NEW YORK -- Ronald Acuña Jr. was healthy enough to rejoin the Braves’ lineup last week. But by extending his Minor League rehab assignment by a few additional days, he was able to gain the confidence that his swing and timing are where they need to be for him to perform at an elite level.
“These guys [returning from an injury] don't want to come up here and embarrass themselves,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “They want to come up here and produce and be the players that they are. I get it. I think they want to make sure that when they do get here, they're ready to be impactful.”
Acuña made an immediate impact after the Braves activated him from the 10-day injured list and put him back in the leadoff spot for Monday night’s 14-3 loss to the Mets. Acuña singled off lefty Zac Thornton in his first plate appearance, scoring the first run of the game on Ozzie Albies' RBI single.
“It was so amazing,” Acuña said. “I was so excited and nervous.”
Acuña went 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts while playing his first game since he strained his left hamstring for the second time this year on June 9. He exited in the eighth inning after the Mets had tallied 11 runs over 2 2/3 innings against left-hander Connor Thomas, a 28-year-old journeyman who helped give the primary relievers a break after the team played two extra-inning games in Baltimore this past weekend.
This is one of those “lose the battle to win the war” approaches by the Braves, who should have their bullpen back at full strength on Tuesday, when they attempt to fortify their lead atop the NL East.
“I’m here to make the playoffs and win another championship for my city,” Acuña said before the game.
The Braves won the 2021 World Series, despite losing Acuña to a torn right ACL two days before that year’s All-Star break. Their bid to win another Fall Classic has been bolstered by this latter-season return of the 2023 NL MVP Award winner.
“It’s just good to have him back,” Weiss said. “His presence alone makes a difference. There’s a trickle-down effect when you have to go through him, and then the guys behind him. It just wears on pitching.”
Acuña has shown how dynamic he can be as a leadoff hitter. He became the only player to hit 40-plus homers and tally more than 70 stolen bases during his historic 2023 season. But he’s had trouble staying healthy since tearing his left ACL in May 2024. He missed time with a right Achilles strain last year. This year’s ailments have been limited to the two left hamstring strains.
Acuña will bat leadoff against left-handed starting pitchers and could regain the role on an everyday basis if he creates the same dynamic production seen in the past. But Weiss expects to have Drake Baldwin serve as his leadoff hitter against left-handed starters. By filling the top three spots in the lineup with Baldwin, Acuña and Matt Olson against southpaws, Weiss can split his top two left-handed hitters (Baldwin and Olson).
Acuña entered Monday batting .251 with seven homers, 15 stolen bases and a .793 OPS over 53 games this year. The Braves right fielder missed a little more than two weeks after initially straining his left hamstring on May 2. He returned on May 19 and produced an .893 OPS over 19 games before aggravating the hamstring strain on June 9.
Acuña went 6-for-26 with a home run over nine rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett and the FCL Braves. Nine of the 16 balls put in play for Gwinnett had an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher.
“My timing is better than before,” Acuña said. “I’m feeling much better.”