By CJ Carlson
The Atlanta Braves are being heavily cautious when it comes to their superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. The reigning National League MVP was recently reported to be dealing with some irritation in his right meniscus, as was shown during an MRI. The injury isn’t anticipated to be severe, though it’s something that Atlanta doesn’t want to worsen.
Acuna is expected to head out and visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache to get another look at it in the next few days. This isn’t exactly surprising given his injury history on that same leg. He had a torn ACL in July of 2021, and it took until April of 2022 for him to return. The long rehab was noticeable when his numbers took a hit during that 2022 campaign. Neither he nor the Braves want to have something like that happen again.
When he gets his next examination of that knee, we’ll likely know how bad the issue is. There is a chance that we will see him absent for a little bit during Spring Training, but the hope is that he’s still going to be ready for Opening Day, barring any more setbacks. We could also see him get placed on the 10-day injured list to start the season if the team wants to be extra careful with his workload, though that doesn’t feel like their main priority at the moment.
Atlanta Braves Need Acuna Healthy
Atlanta is hoping to contend for a World Series again, and Acuna is a massive part of that lofty goal. The reigning MVP led the league in hits (217), stolen bases (73), and runs (149). He smashed 41 homers as well on .337/.416/.596 batting averages. These numbers saw him win the award unanimously and helped him become the first player in baseball history to steal at least 50 bases and hit 40 home runs throughout just one season. The 26-year-old is integral to what the Braves want to do in 2024, and the hope is that this is nothing serious.
