Ronald Acuña Jr. injury timeline
Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered an injury during Friday night's game, leaving due to calf tightness after hitting a groundout against the Miami Marlins.
His time off due to injury might be short lived, according to manager Brian Snitker. Justin Toscano relayed what Snitker said in a radio interview. Snitker said that Acuña is already improving, and could return to the lineup as early as Monday when he'll be re-evaluated at Truist Park.
On the pregame radio show on 680 The Fan, Braves manager Brian Snitker said Ronald Acuña Jr. is improving. He will work out at Truist Park on Monday, and the Braves will continue evaluating him to determine when he can return to the lineup.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) September 17, 2023
That feels a bit early, and if the Braves play things smart, he'll likely spend a few extra days off to rest up. This, though, certainly means Acuña won't have to go on the injured list, which is great news for the Braves.
At this point, the Braves have clinched the NL East as well as a Wild Card bye, and there is little reasoning to rolling Acuña out there if he's not 100 percent ready to go. With few games left to go and plenty of talent on the roster beyond the MVP candidate, the Braves can live without him until the postseason if need be. You don't want to risk re-injuring him with the postseason coming up quickly.
Going into Sunday, the Braves have 14 games left in the regular season.