While he doesn’t have a specific timetable for return, the former NL MVP is expected to be back in the Braves lineup towards the end of May, as reported by Mark Bowman. Acuna Jr tore his ACL early last season and has been rehabbing ever since.
He’ll need to clear a couple of hurdles before beginning a rehab stint, but if all goes well, we could see him on the field again for the Braves in the next few weeks or the next month. That’s great news for an Atlanta team that has been swinging it well lately. Adding Acuna to the fold makes them even better. After all, he’s arguably their best player.
Although Acuna Jr wasn’t at his best before the ACL injury in May of 2024, there’s no questioning the type of talent he is. The outfielder was arguably the best player in baseball in 2023 when he won MVP, smacking 41 home runs, stealing 73 bases, and driving in 106. He also slashed .337.
Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna, and Austin Riley have done a nice job of picking up the offensive slack for the Braves this season, but getting the best version of Acuna back would do wonders for this ball club in their pursuit of a deep playoff run this fall.
Atlanta is 7-3 in their last 10 contests and will need to keep playing consistent baseball to stay competitive in the National League East. Spencer Strider is also expected to return from injury at the end of May. He’s only made one start in ’25.
The Braves are 14-16 at the moment, sitting in third place in the division. Acuna Jr can set the tone for this entire lineup, and fans will be fired up to see him back on the field.
Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn’t producing content for CP, he’s writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.