Ronald Acuña Jr. injury update has Braves fans doing cartwheels in the streets

No, the Tennessee Volunteers didn't go 7-6 and win a bowl game, but I would expect the Nashville contingent of Braves Country to be ecstatic on the finest of Tuesday mornings. That's right. Ronald Acuña Jr. is not expected to miss any time with his knee injury. The Atlanta Braves' superstar outfielder flew to Los Angeles to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who said it was merely meniscus irritation.

This is beyond fantastic news for not only the reigning NL MVP, but for one of the best teams in baseball. Atlanta won more games during the regular season than anyone last year, but managed to get just one victory that really mattered in October. You could cite running out of gas, not having enough horses in the rotation or being the victim of first-round rest if you want. Things must change.

The good news for Braves Country is Acuña is just now hitting his stride as an all-world performer in right field for Atlanta. Eventually, his legs will go, but as long as he handles the bat well at the plate and continues to grow and mature as a person, Atlanta will have its next generational superstar under contract for years to come. There is no need to rush him back, as baseball is a marathon, not a sprint.

Here is the incredible news the Braves official social media account fired out on X Tuesday morning.

Nothing else really matters down in Spring Training for Atlanta. Having Acuña healthy is everything.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected to be on Atlanta Braves' Opening Day roster

While the Braves are about as well-equipped as any team to sustain losing a player like Acuña for any extended amount of time, he is the straw that stirs the drink for Atlanta. He is perhaps the combination of power and speed at the top of the lineup in MLB history. His historic 40/70 is the only argument I need to make. But by having him healthy, it sets up everybody in the lineup for success.

It doesn't force either Ozzie Albies or Michael Harris II into the pressure-packed role of hitting leadoff. It also gives guys like Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Sean Murphy a little bit more protection in the heart of the order. When Acuña is wreaking havoc on base, it forces the starting pitcher to be more careful with locating his offerings. This means the middle of the order gets more good pitches to hit.

Ultimately, Braves Country still needs Acuña to play the bulk of the 162 games on the schedule. If he needs an occasional off-day, that is not the end of the world. While there shouldn't be any pressure to play between now and the start of the season, Acuña's knees are something to constantly monitor. Right now, his knees are the only thing that can slow down this generation's version of Mickey Mantle.

We still have the whole season ahead of us, but having Acuña not down the for the count is massive.