Braves make major announcement about Ronald Acuna Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr., who is just shy of his one-year IL anniversary, is set to make his return. Per multiple reports on Thursday, the Braves are expected to activate the former NL MVP tomorrow.

The Braves basically confirmed those reports when they announced Acuna's return on their official X page.

"La Bestia is BACK"

Ronald Acuna Jr. has not appeared in the lineup since getting sidelined due to injury last May while running along the bases. It was his second IL stint due to an ACL, as he tore his other ligament (right) back in 2021.

The timing couldn’t have been better as the Braves could use a boost in lineup through Acuna following a 24-25 start to the season. They fell below .500 after losing back-to-back games against the Washington Nationals.

Acuna will now be available ahead of their three-game series against the San Diego Padres, which begins on Friday, at Truist Park.

The Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers gave the go-ahead signal after scratching Acuna off the lineup on Thursday. This’ll give the star plenty of time to prepare for his weekend game with the Braves.

According to the NY Times, Acuna told manager Brian Snitker that he is ready to go and is feeling great after his first full rehab game in Triple-A. This time, the Atlanta Braves are being extra careful with their star player, as in 2022, he returned a bit earlier than his scheduled time and had to deal with lingering knee soreness and inflammation.

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Ronald Acuna Jr. homered in first rehab stint

Ronald Acuna Jr. [Source: Imagn]

Ronald Acuna Jr. is one of the best players in MLB. He is a four-time All-Star, and won the 2023 NL MVP. But the injury bug has bitten him hard in the past few years. He has torn his ACL in both knees, which has seen him miss a lot of games.

In July 2021, he tore his right ACL and returned to the lineup within 10 months of rehab. However, that took a toll on the player as he had to deal with persistent pain and a slowed-down version of himself.

Then last year, the outfielder tore his left ACL and has been out of the game for 362 days now.

But Acuna looks to be on his way to full strength. He homered in the first game of his minor league rehab stint on May 13. He played in six innings, going 1-for-3 at the plate.

Prior to his injury, Acuna hit .250 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 49 games for the Braves last season.