ATLANTA (AP) — A fully healthy Ronald Acuña Jr. gives the Atlanta Braves a reason for optimism even as they slip two games below .500 after dropping two of three to the San Diego Padres.
The Venezuelan star played all three weekend games against the Padres and immediately showed his burst as he returned after missing nearly a full year following surgery on his left knee.
In the Friday night 2-1 loss, the 2023 National League MVP lined the first pitch he saw 467 feet for a home run. The exit velocity of 115.5 mph was the hardest-hit ball by a Brave this season.
Acuña followed up his return game with a 411-foot homer in Saturday’s 7-1 win. He added a double and a walk in the Sunday 5-3 defeat, finishing 12-for-14 over the three games.
The homers were impressive, but perhaps the most important thing for the Braves was the demonstration of Acuña’s all-around abilities. He threw out Elias Díaz at second base on Friday night and delivered a 104.9 mph throw to the plate on Sunday just as Manny Machado slid safely home.
“Absolutely incredible. He’s a beast,” Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies said. “We all know he has a cannon, but that’s impressive.”
This marks Acuña’s second comeback from a major knee surgery. He ruptured the right ACL on July 10, 2021 and returned in April 2022. He was cautious early in his return, but looked much more confident against San Diego. He demonstrated that he could sprint toward the right-field line to cut off hits before quickly stopping to make strong throws.
Acuña said he feels confident about showcasing the MVP-caliber skills from 2023.
“I think so,” Acuña said. “It’s the culmination of all the work I’ve put in over this time in my legs to be ready for those moments, to be able to react and move like I did in those moments and to be confident in my legs and body.”
The Braves have the day off on Monday. Manager Brian Snitker is considering having Acuña play in each of the three games in Philadelphia in a series that begins Tuesday night.
“It was incredible,” Snitker said when asked to describe Acuña’s first three games. “I think it was really, really good. His at-bats have been really good. Obviously the defense, everything. I think he feels good. I think it was a very good first series for him.”
Snitker said Albies’ two doubles on Sunday provide more reasons for a lineup also strengthened by rookie catcher Drake Baldwin to be ready for better things.
“I’m excited that we haven’t even shown our best baseball and we’re still there,” Snitker said. “We’ve got a long way for things to really click. You know what, we’re fine, really, where we are. Everyone wants to be at .500 and all that, but there’s a lot of baseball left.”
Acuña’s return was highly anticipated and helped the Braves draw crowds to fill the ballpark for each game against San Diego, including 41,251 on Sunday.
“Incredible,” Acuña said of the fan support. “Incredible to be back in front of the fans and even more incredible to be back home in front of them.”
Albies said that having Acuña as the leadoff hitter and right fielder is a good reason to expect better results for Atlanta.
“It’s incredible,” Albies said about Acuña’s impact. “He brings a lot of energy to the lineup. We all see it. The fans love it. It’s simply great. When you see him swing, the team swings with him. He’s the spark.”
