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Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, an indication that the outfielder is close to making a return.
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Acuña is rehabbing a torn ACL he sustained in 2024. There is currently no firm timetable for his return, but the rehab assignment is certainly good news for the team.
"It'll be a day-to-day thing there too," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "They'll re-evaluate him again like anybody the day after and see how he feels, but it'll just be good to get him running around in the outfield again."
Acuña will begin the assignment at North Port in the Florida Complex Rookie League. The outfielder will play in the outfield, and will be re-evaluated from there. He will then head to Triple-A Gwinnett as the next step in his rehab assignment.
The Braves star played in just 49 games last season, hitting .250 with four home runs, 15 RBIs and an OPS of .716. At the end of May, Acuña suffered a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
"These guys love to play the game. When something like this happens, I hate it," Snitker said at the time of Acuña's injury.
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In Monday's series opener against the Washington Nationals, the Braves penciled in Eli White as the team's starting right fielder. White is hitting .284 with two home runs, nine runs batted in and an OPS of .840. He's played in 32 games for the Braves this season.
The Braves have dealt with less-than-ideal circumstances in the outfield this season. Aside from missing Acuña for the start of the 2025 season, Atlanta lost their primary left fielder, Jurickson Profar, as he serves an 80-game suspension.
Profar tested positive for a banned substance and will not receive pay for the time he will miss to open the season. The former San Diego Padres outfielder signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Braves in January.
Profar will be out through the end of June.
The Braves are currently third in the National League East at 19-21, trailing the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
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About the writer
Valentina Martinez is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles. Her focus is reporting on sports, with an expertise in ... Read more