Ronald Acuña Jr. starts his rehabilitation with a home run
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. ignited spirits in his first minor league rehab game on Tuesday night, hitting a home run that marked his return to the field after nearly a year’s absence.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the National League in 2023 suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on May 26, 2024, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He underwent surgery on June 6.
Acuña, 27, had a standout performance, batting 1-for-3 for the Braves in the Florida Complex League on Tuesday. His most important connection was a home run in the fifth inning, sending the ball over the center field fence in his last at-bat. In addition, he played six innings in right field before leaving the game against the FCL Baltimore Orioles in North Port, Florida.
The Braves plan to gradually increase Acuña’s workload, similar to how they handle players at the start of spring training.
So far, Atlanta has not revealed an estimated date for Acuña’s return to the Major Leagues.
Before his injury, Acuña batted .250 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 49 games last season.
In 2023, Acuña was a unanimous MVP, hitting 41 home runs and leading the league with 73 stolen bases, marking the first 40-70 season in MLB history. He batted .337 and led the majors with 149 runs scored, 217 hits, and a .416 on-base percentage.
This historic campaign came two years after suffering a right anterior cruciate ligament rupture on July 10, 2021, which prevented him from playing the rest of that season.
Since his debut in the Major Leagues in 2018, at the age of 20, Acuña has maintained a batting average of .289, with an on-base percentage of .379, a slugging percentage of .525, 165 home runs, 417 RBIs, and 196 stolen bases in 722 games over seven seasons. In addition, he has been selected four times for the All-Star Game.
