Acuna (knee) is set to continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett to begin the week, but he could be a candidate to return from the 10-day injured list ahead of Atlanta's three-game series with the Padres that begins Friday, Lindsay Crosby of AthlonSports.com reports.
Atlanta has yet to offer word on when Acuna might be cleared to return from the IL to make his 2025 debut with the big club, but his 20-day rehab window will come to an end June 2. He seems likely to return from the IL before then, but a firm target date may not come into focus until Atlanta has a chance to reassess his surgically repaired left knee after at least a couple more games. Thus far over his four rehab games between the Triple-A club and the rookie-level Florida Complex League, Acuna has gone 4-for-9 with two solo home runs, a double and a stellar 6:0 BB:K, but he has yet to attempt a stolen base over his 15 plate appearances. He's made three of his four rehab starts as an outfielder but has yet to play a full nine innings on defense, and he may need to play two nine-inning games in right field on back-to-back days before Atlanta brings him back from the IL.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Two hits in Thursday's rehab game
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Acuna (knee) went 2-for-3 with a double for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.
The star outfielder also had some defensive gaffes in right field, but at least at the plate Acuna is looking like he may not need anything close to the full 20 days on his rehab assignment before he'll be ready to make his 2025 debut with Atlanta. Gwinnett's current homestand lasts through the weekend, and per Theo DeRosa of MLB.com, it's not clear yet whether Acuna will head out on a road trip to Louisville with the Stripers or have his rehab stint transferred to Double-A Columbus, which starts a homestand against Montgomery on Tuesday.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Heading for Gwinnett
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Acuna (knee) will have his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, David O'Brien of the Athletic reports.
After playing just six innings for Atlanta's Florida Complex League affiliate Tuesday in the first game of his rehab stint, Acuna will be jumped straight to the top level of the minors for his second. It's a strong sign the 27-year-old outfielder may not require the full 20 days before he's ready to be activated from the IL for his season debut, but so far Atlanta has been very deliberate with the superstar's recovery from June 2024 ACL surgery. A timeline for his return may not come into focus until Acuna is able to play back-to-back nine-inning games without issue.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Homers in first rehab game
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Acuna (knee) went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Tuesday in his first rehab game with Atlanta's Florida Complex League affiliate.
After grounding out in his first plate appearance and lining out in his second trip to the dish, Acuna popped a solo shot to center field in the fifth inning in his third and final plate appearance. He also played six innings in right field. Acuna will likely remain with the rookie-level affiliate for a bit before moving to a higher level to continue his rehab assignment. He could make his season debut with Atlanta before the end of May if all goes well, but if the team elects to use the full 20 days on his rehab assignment, he would rejoin the lineup June 3 to begin a home series against the Diamondbacks.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Getting three PAs Tuesday
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Acuna (knee) will get three plate appearances Tuesday in the first game of his rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
This will likely allow Acuna to play four or five innings in right field, as Atlanta is treating this like it's his first spring training game. There isn't an official timeline for Acuna's return to the majors, but he could theoretically return before the end of May.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Cleared for rehab assignment
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Acuna (knee) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Tuesday, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Though Acuna will be playing in a game for the first time since tearing the ACL in his left knee May 26 of last year, he won't be eased in as a designated hitter, as Burns relays that the 27-year-old has been cleared to play the outfield. Atlanta will monitor Acuna closely over his first few games in Florida before determining whether he's ready to shift his assignment to a higher-level affiliate. A timeline hasn't been offered up for when Acuna might be ready to make his 2025 debut with Atlanta, but the club is seemingly leaving the door open for him to return before the end of May.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Inching closer to rehab assignment
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Acuna (knee) is set to begin a rehab assignment in May, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Acuna is in the final stages of his recovery from left ACL surgery that he underwent in June of 2024. The exact date for when he starts his rehab assignment hasn't been announced, but surgeon Neal ElAttrache said that it's up to Atlanta when Acuna begins a rehab assignment. Acuna is getting closer to making his 2025 debut, which could take place late May or early June.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Couple weeks away from rehab stint
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Acuna (knee) is likely still a couple weeks away from beginning a rehab assignment, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Bowman notes that the timeline is a "best guess" on his part and that Atlanta still doesn't know exactly when Acuna will gain clearance to play in rehab games. The outfielder was cleared to ramp up activities a couple weeks ago but is still building strength in his quads as he works his way back from left ACL surgery. A season debut in late May for Acuna looks like the best-case scenario, but early June seems increasingly more likely.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Still no timeline for return
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Atlanta manager Brian Snitker had no update on Acuna (knee) after Monday's win over the Rockies, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The superstar outfielder was cleared to ramp up activities a couple weeks ago, but as yet Atlanta hasn't announced any plans to have him begin a rehab assignment. The team had already indicated it would take things slowly with Acuna in his recovery from his latest knee surgery, but late May is beginning to look like the most optimistic target for him to make his 2025 debut. When he does kick off a rehab stint, expect Atlanta to use the full 20 days to give Acuna the maximum time to shake off rust and get back up to speed.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: On schedule for return
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Acuna was cleared to ramp up activity Tuesday and begin progressing towards a rehab assignment, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Acuna's scheduled meeting with doctors in Los Angeles appears to have gone well, as he went in seeking clearance to ramp up his running. Aside from increased running, he will likely add defensive drills in the outfield to practice as well. With the outfielder's green light to ramp up activity for progression toward a rehab assignment, he seems to be on schedule to return to action for Atlanta within the next month.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Getting checkup early next week
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Acuna (knee) will have a checkup with doctors in Los Angeles early next week and is expected to be cleared for lateral movements and change-of-direction running, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.
After Acuna ramps up his running, it will be determined when he will begin a rehab assignment, and clarity on a timeline for return should be established. To this point, early-to-mid-May has been viewed as an approximate timetable for his season debut. Acuna is working his way back from left ACL surgery.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Checkup coming soon
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Acuna (knee) is scheduled to meet with doctors in Los Angeles in the upcoming days with the hope of receiving final clearance to begin ramping up his running, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.
Acuna took batting practice and was able to do most baseball activities during spring training, but he's still waiting to get the green light to perform defensive drills in the outfield and change-of-direction running. He seems to be on the cusp of being cleared for full activities, and once that happens, he'll likely steadily increase the intensity of his workouts over the next few weeks before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment. Atlanta isn't putting a definitive timeline on when Acuna will be ready to make his 2025 debut as he works his way back from his second major knee surgery in three years, but he seems to be tracking toward an early-to-mid-May return at this stage.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: No outfield work yet
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Acuna (knee) has not yet been cleared for outfield work or any cutting drills, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Manager Brian Snitker noted Monday that the club will evaluate the leadoff spot on a day-to-day basis after news broke earlier that Jurickson Profar had been handed an 80-game suspension by MLB for violating the performance-enhancing drug policy, and the skipper took this opportunity to give a brief update on Acuna, who would presumably slot in to the leadoff spot once given a clean bill of health. The 27-year-old is still expected to make his return to the field sometime in May, though a more exact timetable for his return should surface once he embarks on a rehab assignment.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Shifts to injured list
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Atlanta placed Acuna (knee) on the 10-day injured list Monday.
The 27-year-old is expected to make his season debut in early or mid-May as he continues to rehab from ACL surgery, so his move to the IL was an inevitability. Acuna has been able to take part in most baseball activities during spring training but has yet to be cleared for game action. Once he begins a rehab assignment, there should be a better idea of when exactly Acuna will make his 2025 debut.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Could steal fewer bases
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Acuna (knee) said Friday that he's planning to "take it easy" on the basepaths as he returns from left ACL surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Acuna estimated that he's running at "90 to 95 percent" and said his surgically repaired left knee feels much more stable than his right knee did following a prior ACL surgery. However, it sounds as though he does not intend to be as aggressive on the bases as he was before this most recent operation. While it's an understandable stance to take as Acuna tries to stay healthy, it does put a damper on his stolen base outlook for fantasy purposes. Acuna will not play in Grapefruit League games and is expected to miss roughly the first month of the season, although there's been no concrete timeline provided by Atlanta.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Won't be rushed back
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Acuna (knee) will be brought along cautiously by Atlanta in order to try and avoid the struggles he experienced in 2022, after his first ACL surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The star outfielder underwent surgery to repair his right ACL in July 2021 and was back in the lineup by April 28 the following season, but Acuna dealt with lingering soreness that year and wound up finishing 2022 with a disappointing .266/.351/.413 slash line over 119 regular-season games. This time around, Acuna is recovering from surgery on his left knee performed in June 2024, and while the extra month-plus of rehab will help, Atlanta still figures to be very careful with his return timeline. It wouldn't be a surprise if the 27-year-old didn't make his 2025 debut until early May.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Likely to miss first month
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Acuna (knee) is expected to miss the first month or so of the season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Everything appears to have gone swimmingly with Acuna's rehab from June 2024 surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. Atlanta is proceeding a bit more cautiously with Acuna than it did after his right ACL tear in 2021, and his timeline could conceivably be moved forward or backward based on how he looks and feels in spring training. Assuming Acuna does begin the season on the injured list, Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz are expected to split playing time in right field.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Unlikely to be ready Opening Day
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday it appears unlikely Acuna (knee) will be ready for Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Anthopoulos indicated last month that Acuna's readiness for Opening Day was in question, and now it appears things are trending toward a stint on the injured list as the outfielder continues his recovery from left ACL surgery. A timetable for Acuna's season debut remains vague, although Anthopoulos previously suggested it could come as late as early June. A more definitive timeline for Acuna might be available by spring training.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Opening Day still uncertain
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos indicated Friday that Acuna (knee) isn't a given to be ready for Opening Day next season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Anthopoulos noted that the club will be deliberate with Acuna's rehab from left ACL surgery, and while it's possible the outfielder is ready to play by Opening Day, his return could be pushed back as far as early June. Acuna's surgery took place in early June of this year, so he will be a little under 10 months removed from it once the regular season begins in 2025. While a timeline for the 26-year-old is fuzzy now, the picture should be clearer by spring training.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Officially placed on injured list
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Atlanta placed Acuna (knee) on the 10-day injured list Monday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Acuna suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Sunday's 8-1 win in Pittsburgh and will undergo season-ending surgery in the coming days. He missed the second half of the 2021 season due to a torn ACL in his other knee and is now slated for another lengthy absence. Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall will likely be in line for additional at-bats in the corner outfield with Acuna out, though Atlanta could seek help from outside the organization.
