The Braves are feeling a mix of excitement and pressure as they anticipate the return of MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. for Friday night’s home game against the Padres. Acuna has been sidelined for most of the 2024 season due to ACL tears, making this comeback particularly significant.
It’s also worth noting that this return is just two days shy of the anniversary of his ACL injury he suffered against the Pirates last year.
The Braves made a cheerful announcement on Twitter this morning, declaring, “Tonight: Ronald is back!” They also shared a highlight clip to mark the occasion.
At 24-25, the Braves have been underperforming this season, which has come as a disappointment to fans and analysts alike. They’re not the powerhouse many expected them to be.
Having Acuna back should really energize the team—he is, after all, one of the most talented players out there when in form.
Acuna made headlines in 2023 by becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve a season with at least 40 home runs and 70 steals, earning him the MVP title.
That season, he hit 41 homers and recorded 73 steals with an impressive batting line of .337/.416/.596, culminating in a career-high OPS of 1.012.
The 2024 season got off to a rocky start for him, as he managed just a .716 OPS before sustaining the ACL injury during an attempt to steal base against the Pirates last year.
It was a tough moment—you can picture it; one minute he’s trying to make the steal, and the next, he’s down on the ground.
This isn’t the first time Acuna has faced a serious injury; he previously tore his right ACL back in the 2021 season.
He underwent surgery on June 6th, and even though the Braves made the playoffs without him, they fell short of winning the NL East in what was their seventh season.
The Padres didn’t fare well either, being quickly eliminated with a two-game sweep.
The Braves’ offense has struggled without Acuna this year, ranking 17th in runs, 14th in slugging percentage, and 13th in OPS, which is fairly lackluster.
In his minor league games leading up to his return, Acuna was hitting .400, racking up two homers over six games and 15 at-bats—definitely a promising sign.
As it stands, Atlanta is currently third in the NL East, sitting five games behind the Phillies and 7.5 games back from the division-leading Mets.
