Phillies Likely Facing Atlanta Braves' Superstar on Opening Day After All
As the Philadelphia Phillies continue to navigate their way through Spring Training, they're hoping they can make it to Opening Day without any injury concerns.
That didn't happen for them last year.
Bryce Harper was recovering from offseason Tommy John surgery and Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL in camp, completely changing the outlook of how 2023 began.
It was one of the main reasons why they got off to such a slow start and never challenged the Atlanta Braves for the NL East crown.
For the Phillies, it's been so far so good.
Their division rivals looked like they might be missing one of their most important pieces when they travel to Philadelphia for Opening Day.
Braves' superstar and reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. is dealing with a meniscus injury to his right knee that caused him to get an MRI and see a doctor in Los Angeles.
However, Atlanta received good news from that visit and now expects their slugger to be available for the March 28 opener.
According to ESPN.com, Dr. Neal ElAttrache only found irritation to Acuna's meniscus and that there was nothing structurally wrong. This will allow him to ramp up baseball activities until he gets to the point where he can be cleared before Opening Day.
Of course, nobody wants to see anyone injured.
But not having Acuna available for one of the multiple series that these teams will play over the course of the season would be a huge boost for the Phillies as they look to get off to a much better start this year.
Now, it's looking like they'll be facing the superstar in what should be an awesome opener between two heated rivals with championship aspirations.
