Ronald Acuña Jr. hadn't played in MLB for a year when he stepped to the plate against the San Diego Padres on Friday. It didn't matter, as Acuña jumped on the first pitch he saw and hit it over the fence. It was an electric moment that even gave his own teammates chills. The former NL MVP backed that up with a hit and 2 RBIs on Saturday as well. However, as great as it is to have Acuña Jr. back in the lineup on a regular basis, the Braves have gone back on their word.
Brian Snitker in particular hoped to be careful with Acuña Jr.'s playing time. The Braves don't have the deepest outfield in baseball, but they cannot afford to play games with Acuña Jr.'s health. Snitker acknowledged how tough of an adjustment it can be to return to the highest level of competition after a year off.
“I’m glad that he’s getting off the ground good, because that’s tough when you haven’t played in a year. I don’t care how many at-bats you got in the minor leagues or how many (training) complex at-bats you got. This is a different animal up here with the people, the energy, the quality of play. So it’s good that the kid could come back after that and hit the ground running," Snitker said.
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Ronald Acuña Jr. could play in three straight Braves games right off the IL
That being said, it's odd the Braves are now willing to start Acuña Jr. for the third consecutive game when they were so methodical with his rehab appearances. While, yes, Atlanta is a game under .500, we're not even in June yet. What's the rush? Acuña has a long history of injuries. Snitker has surely told him to take it easy on the basepaths, all the while the medical staff will keep a close eye on him.
Acuña hasn't played in consecutive games since May of 2024. This includes his rehab process through the Braves minor-league system. He accomplished that feat in his first two games back in the majors this weekend. Why would Snitker feel the need to push it to three games this quickly?
“I’m proud and happy, and just feeling extremely grateful to be a part of an organization that I think just put so much time and effort and energy and care into my recovery process, and invested in me,” Acuña said. “I’m feeling well, and I think it’s helping me just to play daily. And hopefully we just keep going to the place that we’re going, keep feeling good.”
Snitker knows his players better than I do. Heck, even Acuña sounded like he couldn't wait to get out there again on Sunday. By no means does Acuña Jr. playing again guarantee injury, but it does carry some risk. The Braves aren't in a position to take too many risks as of this writing.