The Braves badly need the former NL MVP back in the lineup.
The Atlanta Braves are off to a disastrous start this season, opening the year with a 3-9 record. The Braves already find themselves five games out of first place in early April. Fortunately, the team should receive some serious reinforcements soon.
Former National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is nearing his return. He’s expected to meet with doctors early next week and be cleared for “lateral movement and quick start/stop running,” according to Braves reporter Grant McAuley on X. Atlanta should be able to establish a timeline for his rehab assignment and eventual return to the lineup once he’s cleared to run.
After an incredible 2023 season, in which he hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases, unanimously winning league MVP, Acuña tore his ACL early in 2024. He was the most prominent loss in a season plagued by injury for the Braves.
Can Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider save the Braves’ season?
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Atlanta is also expecting Spencer Strider’s return after a dominant rehab start in the minors. Strider was selected to his first All-Star Game and finished fourth in Cy Young voting following a dominant campaign in 2023. However, he only made two starts last year before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery.
Braves manager Brian Snitker views the return of Acuña and Strider – a former MVP and Cy Young-caliber pitcher – as two really good trades that are coming. Atlanta anticipates Strider rejoining the team first, at some point in April, while Acuña is expected to return to the lineup in mid May. Although he could receive a more accurate timetable after he meets with doctors next week.
The Braves badly need both players back and at the top of their games. Atlanta has been flat so far this season, quickly dropping to last place in the NL East. The rotation has been awful as Chris Sale has yet to find his groove. And the Braves’ big offseason acquisition, Jurickson Profar, was hit with an 80–game ban for a PED violation.
Profar had a breakout campaign with the San Diego Padres in 2024, making his first All-Star Game after 11 seasons in the majors. He signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves over the offseason. Now he’ll miss half the year and won’t be eligible for the playoffs should Atlanta qualify.
