Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr was scratched from the lineup on Friday after dealing with meniscus irritation in his surgically repaired right knee. The reigning NL MVP will travel to Southern California to get a second look as reported by USA Today's Bob Nightengale, but Acuna Jr himself doesn't seem too worried about being healthy when Opening Day rolls around:
I’ll BE BACK 🏃🏾♂️
— Ronald Acuña Jr. (@ronaldacunajr24) March 2, 2024
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos also spoke to Jon Morosi on Sunday morning and said he's “highly confident” Acuna Jr will be in the lineup for the season opener.
While it's far from ideal that Acuna Jr is dealing with soreness in his knee, there's clearly positivity around his status moving forward. The Venezuelan put together a historic 2023 campaign, smacking 41 home runs and hitting .337 while swiping 73 bags. He's the first player in MLB history to hit more than 40 long balls and steal more than 50 bags in a single season.
Braves manager Brian Snitker had this to say Saturday about the Ronald Acuna Jr setback, via ESPN:
“Right now we're trying to be optimistic,” Snitker told reporters in Florida on Saturday. “Maybe just a couple of weeks or whatever, just to calm everything down. But honestly, I don't know until we get what the doctor out there says.”
Acuna Jr tore his ACL in 2021, the same year the Braves ultimately won the World Series. Atlanta obviously wants to be cautious about the health of their franchise cornerstone, who is arguably the most electrifying player in all of baseball. Hopefully, he steers clear of arthroscopic surgery, which is a possibility.
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