Ronald Acuña Jr. hits longest homer of career in first at-bat off IL (Video)

Ronald Acuña Jr. crushes the longest homer of his career off Gerrit Cole.

It took one swing for Ronald Acuña Jr. to let the MLB know he’s back from the Injured List.

Acuña was put on the IL initially due to a wrist issue earlier in August. Though he is known to play through pain, the Atlanta Braves wanted to make sure its most talented position player got the rest he needed on his ailing wrist. In his first at-bat since coming off the IL, the took New York Yankees‘ ace Gerrit Cole deep to the tune of 473 feet for the longest home run of his career.

Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return to the lineup gives the Braves even more power.

Atlanta led the National League East by half a game over the pesky Miami Marlins entering play Wednesday. The Braves have consistently been one of the better teams in the Senior Circuit this year. While they have not been as dominant as the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West or the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, the Braves will be a postseason team.

Even if the starting rotation continues to be an enigma for skipper Brian Snitker and the rest of Braves Country, Atlanta will remain a top-eight team in the National League because of talented and versatile players like Acuña. Few teams are capable of putting runs across in bunches quite like the Braves. With a future NL MVP thriving at the top of the batting order, Atlanta is terrifying.

However, Atlanta may have to wait yet another season to reach the NLCS. It has been a long 19 years since the Braves have played for the right to go to the World Series. They have lost nine straight postseason series, including the infamous Infield Fly Rule game known as the 2012 NL Wild Card game. That remains one of the worst calls in MLB postseason history going away.

For now, Atlanta must find ways to eke out wins anyway they can because the Braves cannot count on its starting rotation outside of Max Fried. With Mike Soroka tearing his right Achilles’ tendon, it has been a strugglefest when anyone not named Fried takes the mound for them. Hopefully, newcomer Ian Anderson, who started Game 1, can provide some much-needed help.

As long as Acuña can play at an elite level, the Braves will be in the mix to win the NL Pennant.