Braves Acuña to Be Limited in Spring Training, Changing Approach

A positive update for Atlanta Braves star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. brings further clarity to the plan for the remainder of his recovery and the plan for when he returns.

According to the Atheltic's David O'Brien, Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Acuña won’t play in any spring training games but could be a designated hitter in some games on backfields. However, there are still no plans for him to be a designated hitter once he returns to the lineup.

The timetable for Acuña's return to the Braves will come late in Spring Training. Despite this update, he's considered to be way ahead of where he was during his recovery from his last ACL injury.

Acuña said to the media this morning that he plans to “take it easy" on the bases this upcoming season. This decision comes in the midst of his recovery from a second ACL surgery in the last four seasons.

This is an update that was pending for the entire offseason. Back in September, Acuña said a change in his approach could be coming during the process of being patient in his recovery.

“I’m really gonna try and focus on my hitting, my fielding, anything that I can to help the team win,” Acuna said at the time via a translator. “In regards to running and stealing those bases, I don’t know if I’ll be able to steal the 40 or 50 bags as easily. I don’t know how that’s gonna play out in the future.”

At this time, it sounds like we’ll be seeing fewer stolen bases from him. This might not be the situation for the remainder of his career, but that’s his plan for now. For long-term success, it’s a safe decision.

Even if he’s not stealing as many bases, a healthy Acuña at 100% brings 40 home runs and 200 hits to the table. If he only steals 30 bases a year instead of 71 along with those home runs, he's still an MVP candidate.

On the bright side, he’s making strong progress in his recovery. Acuña added that he is at about 90% to 95% and feels more stable than he felt after his first surgery. This new approach to recovery is having its benefits. No need to push it.

FanGraphs agrees that this strategy will work in Acuña’s favor. He’s projected to play in 128 games and finish with a .291/.279/.509 slash line with 26 home runs and 102 RBIs. They project he’ll have 44 stolen bases too, but if he’s taking it easy, that might be a stretch.