The Atlanta Braves schedule is just around the corner, but the team received a recent scare when outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was scratched from a spring training game with a knee issue. Days later, the Braves have a definitive diagnosis on their star outfielder.
Atlanta was hopeful that Acuña Jr’s knee injury was a minor scare and wouldn’t jeopardize his status for Opening Day. However, his injury history with an ACL tear did raise some alarms that the All-Star outfielder might not be available for the start of the regular season.
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On Monday, the Braves announced an initial diagnosis that the reigning National League MVP had irritation around his meniscus. However, the club wanted to be cautious and sent him to meet with specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles for further evaluation.
- Ronald Acuña Jr stats 2023: .337/.416/.596, 1.012 OPS, 41 home runs, 106 RBI, 73 steals
The Braves just announced that Dr. ElAttrache confirmed that Acuña Jr. suffered irritation in the meniscus of his right knee. While the team will need to ease him back into action, the tentative expectation is that Acuña Jr. will be ready for Opening Day.
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The confirmation from one of the top experts in the field provides much-needed relief in Atlanta. There was initial concern when reports surfaced on Monday night that an injury update following Acuña Jr’s visit would be delayed until the following day.
While the All-Star outfielder likely won’t rejoin the Braves lineup for several days, the most important thing for Atlanta was receiving confirmation that the injury won’t jeopardize his status for the start of the regular season. Barring any setbacks, Acuña Jr. should be in the lineup on Thursday, March 28 against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, they may manage his workload in the early weeks of the season to avoid a setback.
