Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. missed about a year of action after he tore his ACL last May. But he's back now, and he appears to be rounding into shape.
On Monday, the Braves defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 in Wisconsin, and Acuna had two hits in three at-bats, which included a home run in the fifth inning when they started to take control of the game.
It was his fifth home run in 16 games this year, as well as his eighth run batted in. Major League Baseball gave him a new nickname on X: Ronald Aura Jr.
Ronald AURA Jr. pic.twitter.com/WZOjqjWc77
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2025
Acuna was the National League MVP in 2023, his last fully healthy season, when he knocked in 106 RBIs and 41 homers. Midway through the 2021 season, he tore his other ACL, and he could only sit and watch as Atlanta powered its way to a World Series championship.
It is just about a certainty that Atlanta won't win it all this year, and it may not even reach the playoffs. Monday's victory snapped a seven-game losing streak for the team, and it currently has a 28-37 record, which puts it 13.5 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East.
Its roster is different compared to that triumphant 2021 campaign. Freddie Freeman, who was the NL MVP in 2020, joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in March 2022. Pitcher Max Fried, who won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award in 2021, is now a member of the New York Yankees.
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