Report: Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. to begin rehab assignment Tuesday
The Atlanta Braves are close to getting a major boost to their outfield.
The Atlanta Braves are close to getting a major boost to their outfield.
Ronald Acuña Jr. will begin a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Monday, according to The Athletic‘s David O’Brien. The 2023 NL MVP will play in the outfield as the team sees how he feels after games before moving him up to the high minors.
O’Brien reports that there is still no timetable for Acuña’s return to MLB.
Acuña, 27, tore the ACL in his left knee in late May last season while running the bases. He appeared in 49 games before the injury shut him down for the year.
In those 49 games, Acuña slashed .250/.351/.365 with four home runs and 16 stolen bases. In his MVP campaign the year prior, he became the first-ever player to hit more than 40 home runs and steal more than 70 bases in a single season.
Acuña had been taking live batting practice before going for an evaluation of his knee in Los Angeles in early April.
It was the second torn ACL of Acuña’s career. He tore his right ACL on July 10, 2021, and missed the Braves’ run to their first World Series title since 1995. He returned on April 28, 2022, after missing Atlanta’s first 19 games.
Atlanta enters play Monday as the NL East’s third-place team with a 19-21 record. It started the season 0-7 with consecutive sweeps at the hands of the Dodgers and Padres.
Acuña’s return will be a major boon for the Braves. Atlanta outfielders have combined for a .593 OPS so far this season — the second-lowest mark in MLB.
— With files from the Associated Press.
