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Atlanta Braves fans waited roughly 9 months for Ronald Acuna Jr to return from his devastating ACL injury. Then, only a couple weeks after he came back in May, Acuna once again found himself batting an ailment. Fortunately, it had nothing to do with his ACL.
Nonetheless, Braves fans were not going to relax until Acuna Jr's name was written in Brian Snitker's lineup once again. And after missing only a handful of games due to a minor groin injury, Ronald Acuna Jr is officially returning for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.
Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup 5/17
1. Ronald Acuna Jr. DH
2. Olson 1B
3. Riley 3B
4. Ozuna OF
5. Albies 2B
6. Demeritte OF
7. Contreras C
8. Duvall OF
9. Swanson SShttps://t.co/9qdcv6EMaO— 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 MLB (@LineStarMLB) May 17, 2022
Ronald Acuna Jr is arguably the best player in baseball when healthy. He blasted over 40 home runs just a few years ago and his mixture of power, speed, and defense makes him one of the most well-rounded players in MLB.
And the Braves need him in the lineup right now. Even if it is just as a DH. Atlanta has dropped three of their past five games and are currently sitting in fourth place in the NL East with a 16-20 record.
There is undoubtedly a post Freddie Freeman World Series hangover taking place. But if Ronald Acuna Jr can return to his MVP caliber form, the Braves should be fine. He is a spark plug that makes everyone else perform at a higher level.
This Braves team is too talented to play this poorly all season long. They are destined to pick things up moving forward. But for now, fans will be content simply seeing Acuna Jr's name back in the lineup.