Braves Make Final Call on Ronald Acuña Return Date: Report

Atlanta Braves right fielder is set to make his much-anticipated return since suffering a torn left ACL last season.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. remained at Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday night. But Friday, he will be back with the Atlanta Braves.

The Athletic's David O'Brien reported Thursday the Braves will activate Acuña for Friday's matchup versus the San Diego Padres. He will start and make his much-anticipated 2025 MLB debut.

Acuña will return to the Braves lineup just three days shy of the one-year anniversary when he suffered a torn left ACL against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the outfielder's second torn ACL in the last four years.

He sustained a right ACL tear in 2021.

Acuña was originally in Gwinnett's lineup for Thursday night's game in Louisville, Kentucky. MLB.com's Mark Bowman reported before the game that Acuña was going to make his MLB debut this weekend but added that the outfielder was unlikely to return for Friday because of the travel required to get to Atlanta.

But hours later, O'Brien reported Acuña was a healthy scratch in Louisville, and he will travel to Atlanta to start Friday.

Acuña has been terrific at Triple-A during his rehab stint. He entered Thursday's action 6-for-14 (.400) with two doubles, two home runs, seven walks and only two strikeouts.

O'Brien reported nothing about where Acuña would bat in Atlanta's batting order Friday night, but one has to figure he will return to his normal leadoff spot. Alex Verdugo has filled the hole at the top of Atlanta's lineup fairly well this season, but Verdudgo hasn't been hitting as well lately.

The Braves will also have a decision about who they will demote to Triple-A to make room for Acuña on the 26-man roster. But having Acuña back in the lineup should be a significant boost for Atlanta.

Acuña won the 2023 National League MVP while becoming the first player ever to record a 40-homer, 70-stolen base season.

In 2022, Acuña returned from his right ACL tear in roughly nine and a half months. But he needed regular rest upon his return because of "residual soreness and inflammation."

The Braves have been more cautious with his recovery from the left ACL tear this year.