Acuña's Strong Return to Braves Reflects Pre-Injury Trend

Ronald Acuña Jr. had little trouble seeing the ball when he returned to the Atlanta Braves lineup on Tuesday. He reached base three times, including two walks and a base hit, to help the Braves bounce back, winning 8-4.

His teammates capitalized on his trips to the basepaths, driving him in three times.

It was the return the Braves needed after losing another bat in the lineup, Drake Baldwin. He went down with a grade 1 right oblique strain, officially going on the injured list on Tuesday.

This game also continued a trend that was building ahead of his injury. He was starting to look closer to his usual self at the plate, and the time away didn’t take him out of sync.

During his last seven games played, the six games leading up to the injury plus Tuesday, he is batting .360 with a .987 OPS, four extra-base hits, two stolen bases and an RBI.

He had been slower out of the gate this season, but he’s starting to get over the hump.

What’s helped the Braves be one of the best teams in baseball despite all their injuries has been, along with the deeper bench, has been key stars finding their stride.

Austin Riley has looked like his All-Star self as of late. Ozzie Albies has gone through a rough patch over the last week or so, but he’s been a force for most of the season. Of course, before his injury, Baldwin was arguably the key cog in the machine.

Now, it’s looking like it’s Acuña’s turn to look like the superstar he always has been.

We’ve learned he doesn’t have to be at 100% to do damage. He was limited on the basepaths last season due to recently recovering from an ACL injury, and he was still a starting outfielder in the All-Star Game.

To start, it's been a different version of preserving his health. For at least his first game back, he was just a designated hitter. They didn’t get to benefit from his arm and athleticism in the outfield, but the tools he got to use were enough.

He didn't steal any bases, but he was allowed to play the full game and run the bases. It was a timely first step toward full availability, which allowed him to pick up where he left off.

Add us as a preferred source on Google