Ronald Acuna Jr Fantasy Baseball Injury Update: Acuna And Another $20 Million Braves Star Are Nearing A Return

Atlanta Braves superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr has been sidelined since June 9 with a hamstring strain. However, during the MLB All-Star break, Acuna began his minor-league rehab stint. He exploded yesterday, hitting a grand slam and driving in five RBIs with the FCL Braves. Today, he was upgraded to Triple-A Gwinnett.

It looks like Acuna is almost done ramping up in the minors, and his return to Atlanta should be imminent. Likely at some point early next week. His return will be a much-needed boost for the Braves lineup.

There is another Braves starter following the same trajectory as Acuna. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim was also transferred to Gwinnett along with Acuna today, as he recovers from finger inflammation. We'd expect his timeline to be similar to Acuna's. While the team surely hopes that Kim will look better when he comes back up, he has done nothing but drag the team down this year both at the plate and in the field when he's out there.

The #Braves today transferred the rehabilitation assignments of OF Ronald Acuña Jr. and INF Ha-Seong Kim to Triple-A Gwinnett.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 17, 2026

Fantasy Impact

OF Ronald Acuna Jr, Atlanta Braves

Acuna is a fantasy superstar when healthy, and he won't only be a huge boost for the Braves, but also for fantasy owners. He hasn't been having the strongest year; however, he was really picking it up when he got hurt, and we all know he has as much upside as any player in the league.

Not only is he an exceptional hitter with incredible power, if his hamstring is good, but he's one of the top base-stealers in all of fantasy baseball. There isn't anything he can't do, and he stuffs stat sheets across the board. When he's hot, he hits for average and power, and adds fantasy value on the base paths with his legs.

As soon as he is back in the Braves lineup, he should be back in your fantasy lineups. While we do expect him to play in every game once he returns, there is a strong chance that he DHs a couple of times a week for a while. Just keep that in mind if it impacts your league in any way.

SS Ha-Seong Kim, Atlanta Braves

Kim has been the fourth-best shortstop on the Braves this season, and that's only by default. If not for a $20 million contract, he wouldn't even be on the team. It would be a disservice to the team and the fans if they put Kim in at shortstop over Mauricio Dubon, Jorge Mateo, or Jim Jarvis.

Not only is Kim batting an incredibly awful .068 with just five hits in 73 at-bats this season, with zero home runs and three RBIs, but he has also been a detriment in the field as well. He has the weakest arm of any option the Braves have and has made multiple concentration mistakes this season as well. He needs to be on the bench or cut.

Even if the Braves do put him out there, fantasy owners should want no part of him. At his best, his upside is about a .250 hitter with limited power. The only purpose he can serve at this point is to stunt the development of Jim Jarvis due to monetary purposes.

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