Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. doesn't expect any restrictions when he returns from the second torn ACL of his career, but the 27-year-old might hold back when he gets on base.
"Maybe 90-95%. I feel great," Acuna told reporters about the health of his left knee on Friday, according to Alison Mastrangelo of WSB-TV.
"The priority is I feel great. That's the most important thing. ... I feel more stable. ... I need to take it easy a little bit when I get on base."
The four-time All-Star has 196 career stolen bases, 73 of which came during a historic MVP campaign in 2023 when he also hit 41 home runs. Acuña is the only player in MLB history with a 40-homer, 70-steal season.
The Venezuelan is still in the recovery process after tearing his knee ligament in May 2024, but May 2025 appears to be the target date for his return.
Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos doesn't expect Acuña to get into any spring training games, and there haven't been any internal discussions about the star outfielder being used as a designated hitter when he returns, according to The Athletic's David O'Brien.
Atlanta is expected to use an outfield rotation of Michael Harris II, Jurickson Profar, Jarred Kelenic, and Bryan De La Cruz until Acuña is back in the lineup.
