Ronald Acuña Jr. homers in first game back

Come for the patented loud blast off the bat of Acuña, stay for the bright smile as he heads to the dugout. The homer happened in his last at-bat of the night, as he finished six innings in the field and went 1-for-3 at the plate.

The fact that Ronald Acuña Jr. is already playing six innings in the field in his first game back is somewhat shocking. It’s a sign of just how cautious the Braves were throughout this entire process. Now, it seems the training wheels are off, and the power stroke in his first game back is a very encouraging sign.

Notably, Acuña experienced career lows across the board in 2022 when he came back from his first torn ACL. His contact ability was still apparent, but he really suffered in the power department, hitting just 15 homers over 119 games. That’s a far cry from the 41 long balls he hit in 159 games the following season, when he went on to to win NL MVP.

By beginning his rehab assignment today, Ronald Acuña Jr. started a 20-day window in which he must be activated. Sometime over the next few weeks, providing there are no setbacks, one of the most exciting players in all of baseball will rejoin the Braves.