UPDATE, 5/22 6:38 p.m. ET: Sure enough, Ronald Acuña Jr. was scratched from Triple-A Gwinnett's lineup just before first pitch on Thursday night, a sure sign that he's bound for Atlanta. MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that he should be in the lineup for Friday's game against the Padres, almost one year to the day since he tore his ACL.
The Atlanta Braves have finally built some positive momentum of late, digging out of their early-season hole to get back to .500 and within striking distance in the NL East. That's not all that bad, considering everything that's gone wrong so far this year — and considering the fact that the team's best player, Ronald Acuña Jr., has yet to play a game as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Luckily for Braves fans, that last part seems about ready to change. Acuña Jr. started a rehab assignment in the Minors earlier this month, but the team has been stubbornly vague about his potential timeline for a return to the big leagues. Now, though, the proof is in the pudding: Acuña Jr. is in the lineup in right field for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday night. It's his second consecutive start in the outfield — and if all goes well, it could be his final hurdle before joining the Braves.
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Ronald Acuña Jr. set to clear final rehab hurdle on Thursday
The Braves haven't wanted to put a clock on their star outfielder, but they have revealed just what they're looking for before they clear him to return to the Majors. In an appearance on Jon Heyman and Paul Sherman's "The Show" podcast, GM Alex Anthopoulos stressed that the team wanted to see how Acuña Jr.'s surgically repaired knee held up to the wear and tear of nine innings in the field.
That's a bar that Acuña Jr. hadn't yet cleared — until now. His first five rehab games eased him back into action, usually playing only the first six innings or serving as Gwinnett's DH rather than playing right field. On Wednesday, though, he played the full nine in the outfield, going 1-for-4 with a walk from the leadoff spot. And if Thursday's lineup is any indication, his knee is feeling good enough for him to get right back out there again one night later.
Reading between the lines a bit, this should be the final hurdle the Braves need him to clear. Acuña Jr. will likely have some built-in off days or days at DH once he finally arrives in Atlanta, but if he can prove that he's feeling good enough to play two consecutive days in right and come out no worse for wear, that's a good sign that his knee is all the way back (or at least as all the way as it can be a year removed from major surgery). Assuming all goes well on Thursday and he makes it through nine innings, the runway is clear, and the Braves could welcome their leader back as soon as this weekend against the San Diego Padres.