North Port, Florida is buzzing as Braves baseball returns, with a lot of eyes on Atlanta’s two biggest stars returning from injury — Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider.
Strider has been throwing bullpen sessions, with Brian Snitker saying, “The ball is coming out really good.” Acuna, on the other hand, seems to be a step behind Strider in their respective rehabs, purely based on the individual injuries.
“Ronald is doing everything, he hasn’t done a lot of the cutting, things like that. But I have seen him in Atlanta before we came down and as you’re seeing now, he’s doing great. He’s checking all of the boxes. He looks great.”
.@Braves skipper Brian Snitker joined us with the latest on Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. as they continue their recoveries from season-ending surgeries.#MLBNHotStove | @SageUSAmerica pic.twitter.com/L8e4bCPO1p
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 12, 2025
Strider is expected to return around the end of April or the beginning of May, but Acuna’s timeline is a bit longer. He tore his right ACL near the end of May and is seemingly targeting the second half of May for a return, putting him on pace for a full-year recovery.
When he tore his left ACL in July 2021, he returned at the end of April 2022 and battled discomfort for much of that season. So, it’s no surprise the Braves are taking things slow with him, even if Acuna is chomping at the bit to get out there.
The ultimate goal is getting their superstar right fielder back to 100% so there are no lingering issues after he does return. The Braves will manage without Acuna, as Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz platoon in right field.
