Ronald Acuña Jr. is finally towards the end of his road to recovery back to the Atlanta Braves lineup. Before anyone starts penciling in 40-40 predictions, we have to focus on the real goal here. This comeback’s got one mission and that is sustainability.
Evaluation in Los Angeles: A Crucial Checkpoint
Acuña is heading to Los Angeles for evaluations early next week. No drama there, it’s more like the next step in a carefully designed routine. Braves manager Brian Snitker clarified that this is part of the original plan. Nothing’s being rushed, nothing’s being skipped. The goal is to fully get it right the first time.
He’s been hitting and seeing live pitching—his swing is already showing signs of midseason form—but he’s not running out of the box yet. Why? Because the next phase of his rehab is all about movement. Start, stop, cut. Think of it as fine-tuning a sports car’s suspension before letting it loose at Daytona.
The team wants to ensure that when Acuña takes off on those explosive sprints, his surgically repaired knee can handle the load—without risk, without hesitation.
Braves Taking No Chances with Two Torn ACLs
This is the second ACL tear of his career; we cannot forget that. Both knees. That changes the calculus. Snitker didn’t offer any dates or a rehab assignment schedule, but the tone was clear. Atlanta’s biggest star will only return when he’s ready to contribute without compromising his body.
Acuña’s rehab is on schedule, and more importantly, it’s deliberate. They’ve cleared his knee for the torque of hitting. That’s no small thing. The full package—that MVP-level explosiveness—is going to take a little more patience.
What Acuña Can Still Deliver in 2025
Here’s the kicker: even with a likely drop in base-stealing aggression (and let’s be real, 45 steals seems a bit far-fetched now), Fangraphs still projects a .298/.385/.522 slash line with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs.
That’s not just solid—it’s star-level. It’s the kind of offensive consistency that can tilt the NL East back in Atlanta’s favor. Don’t forget he has family playing for a division rival now, expect him to want to come back strong.
Look at what Sean Murphy did the moment he returned to the Braves. Veteran presence, instant impact. Acuña doesn’t need to carry the entire offense on those knees. But once he’s cleared, that bat—and that swagger—will bring plenty of firepower back to Truist Park.
The message? He’s close. But more importantly, he’s being built to stay close—for the long haul.
