Braves' Acuña to make season debut Friday
Ronald Acuña Jr. is back.
The Atlanta Braves plan to activate their star outfielder from the injured list Friday, paving the way for Acuña to make his season debut against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park.
La Bestia is BACK 💪@ronaldacunajr24 pic.twitter.com/1Ccmd38SXU
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 23, 2025
Acuña hasn't played in the majors since tearing the ACL in his left knee on May 26, 2024. It was the second time he required ACL reconstruction surgery, having previously torn the ligament in his right knee in 2021.
After a nearly yearlong rehab, the 2023 NL MVP finally returned to game action last week, making minor-league rehab appearances in the Florida Complex League and with Triple-A Gwinnett. Acuña went 6-for-15 with two homers, four extra-base hits, and seven walks over his six-game rehab stint.
In his final rehab outing on Wednesday, Acuña went 1-for-4 with a walk and played a full nine innings in right field for the first time this year. The Braves had scheduled a seventh rehab game for Acuña on Thursday, but with his return to the majors imminent, they scratched him from Gwinnett's lineup shortly before first pitch.
"It'll be good, he feels ready, and that's great," manager Brian Snitker said, according to Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It'll be great to get him back in the lineup."
In his most recent full campaign, Acuña ran away with NL MVP honors after producing just the fifth (to that date) 40-homer, 40-steal season, and first-ever 40-70 campaign. He also hit .337/.416/.596 and led the majors in hits (217), runs (149), steals, and OBP.
The Braves have sorely missed his electric bat atop their lineup. Atlanta's leadoff hitters own a .603 OPS through 49 games in 2025, a figure that ranks last in the NL and 28th overall.
"We know how electric that guy is," first baseman Matt Olson told Burns. "MVP-caliber player. To get his energy back, and lead off the game with No. 13, it's going to be exciting."
Thursday's loss to the Washington Nationals dropped the Braves to 24-25 on the season. Although they've recovered somewhat from a disastrous 0-7 start, Snitker's club enters play Friday sitting 7.5 games behind the first-place Phillies and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.