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Braves Quickly Facing Major Ronald Acuña Jr. Injury Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated May 26, 2025 7:57 AM ET

When Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. has been healthy over the last three years, he’s almost exclusively manned his familiar spot in right field.

Braves manager Brian Snitker may need to consider a new position for Acuña in the coming weeks: designated hitter.

That’s nothing personal against Acuña, who went 4-for-12 with two home runs in his first games back from a torn ACL. That’s just it, though: Acuña just returned from his second major knee injury since 2021, and more specifically, his second torn ACL; Acuña suffered the same injury, albeit in his right knee, nearly four years ago.

The Braves haven’t indicated that Acuña will play DH in the coming weeks, which is good news—at least in the short term—for All-Star slugger Marcell Ozuna.

Acuña has only played two of a possible 211 games at DH since the start of 2023. Conversely, Ozuna played 14 innings, all in 2023, during that time.

The Braves chose to bring Acuña across slowly during his rehab, and he responded with a solo home run on the first pitch he saw Friday night. However, there’s significant risk in pushing Acuña too hard—or letting him dictate just how much he wants to play in his first weeks back from a severe knee injury.

At the same time, Ozuna entered Monday hitting .278 with a league-high 43 walks and a stellar .897 OPS. Although Ozuna’s doubles and homers are down, he’s still reaching base at a .423 clip; only New York Yankees star Aaron Judge (.487) and Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Will Smith (.446) and Freddie Freeman (.427) have a higher OBP.

It’s a tough decision for Snitker, one where there might not necessarily be a winner. Acuña potentially feels most comfortable in right field, and Ozuna is a full-time DH for a reason.

Still, at least Snitker has Acuña and Ozuna back in the lineup for the first time in a year. It could be far, far worse as the inconsistent Braves try to stay in the playoff hunt.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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