Ronald Acuña Jr. IL return gives Braves another jolt in NL East race
ESPN reports Ronald Acuña Jr. will rejoin Atlanta after a hamstring injury as the Braves rebuild their NL East cushion.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Ronald Acuña Jr. IL watch is over: the Atlanta Braves are activating the star outfielder from the injured list Monday, according to ESPN, adding a former National League MVP to a club that has already started to steady itself after a rough stretch.
Acuña, 28, had been out since June 9 with a hamstring injury. Before the absence, his season line sat below his usual superstar pace, with a .251 batting average, .373 on-base percentage and .421 slugging percentage, according to CBS Sports. He also had 10 doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 31 runs, 15 stolen bases and a 119 OPS+ across 53 games.
For most players, that would count as plenty useful. For Acuña, it came against the standard he set as the 2023 NL MVP, when his upside became one of the biggest forces in baseball.
When is Ronald Acuña Jr. coming back for the Braves?
Acuña is being activated Monday, ESPN reported. His return comes as Atlanta opens a three-game road series against the New York Mets, giving the Braves a major lineup piece back just before the trade deadline.
The injury that sidelined him was a hamstring issue. Hamstring injuries can be tricky for speed-driven players because they affect running, cutting and acceleration, which makes Acuña’s return especially notable given his base-stealing value.
The timing is sweet for Atlanta. The Braves entered June 9 with a commanding NL East lead, then hit turbulence from that date through July 11, going 9-19, according to CBS Sports. That slide cut what had been a 10 1/2-game division advantage down to two games.
Since then, the mood has changed. Atlanta won its final game before the All-Star break, then went 7-3 in its first 10 games after the break. The Braves’ NL East lead climbed back to 5 1/2 games.
The bats have been part of the rebound. Since the break, Atlanta has scored 60 runs in 10 games, a six-runs-per-game clip, according to CBS Sports. Adding Acuña to that mix gives manager Walt Weiss another high-end option in an offense already finding its stride again.
Weiss pointed to the Braves’ rough patch as something that could help them later. After Sunday’s extra-innings win over the Baltimore Orioles, he said, “After a rough June, grinding through that and coming out the other end and still being in first place, it’s going to serve us well in the long run.”
“You make deposits into the bank of mental toughness when you do things like that,” Weiss added.
Atlanta’s next week also comes with roster stakes. After the Mets series, the Braves return home for four games against the Washington Nationals before the trade deadline. CBS Sports reported the club is expected to look for rotation help and possibly bullpen help.
With Acuña back, Atlanta’s lineup question gets a cleaner answer. The Braves survived the wobble, kept first place and now get one of baseball’s most dangerous players back for the next push.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.