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The Atlanta Braves' 2024 season did not exactly go according to plan. Atlanta entered the season with legitimate World Series aspirations but ended up narrowly reaching the postseason as a National League Wild Card team.
Reaching the postseason was an impressive feat considering all of the injuries Atlanta dealt with as Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider were among the Braves players who missed time in 2024. So will Acuna and Strider be ready for the beginning of the 2025 season?
“(Alex) Anthopoulos said it's too early to know when Acuña and Strider will be back but said it could be as soon as Opening Day or as late as early June if for some reason either needed more time. Right now, there've been no setbacks or reason to think it'd be the longer end,” David O'Brien of The Athletic wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The update, which was shared on Friday, suggests that neither player has a strict injury timeline yet. Still, the fact that there reportedly has not been any setbacks is encouraging.
The Braves fell short of their World Series goal in 2024. However, Atlanta features more than enough talent to compete at a high level in 2025, but they will need to have a healthier overall campaign. Injuries proved to be too much for the ballclub this season. Again, the fact that they still reached the postseason is telling of the depth on the roster.
One has to imagine that Atlanta will rebound and make a World Series run if the Braves stars can stay healthy in 2025.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is one of the best players in MLB when healthy
Acuna won the National League MVP Award in 2023 following a historic season. In fact, Acuna has been incredible while on the field throughout his career for the most part. He has only played in 120 or more games twice since making his MLB debut in 2018, though.
Acuna was limited to 49 games played in 2024. He was not swinging the bat especially well in those 49 games, but Acuna likely would have found his rhythm at some point. Instead, the Braves star suffered a torn ACL and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Atlanta is hoping he can return for the start of the 2025 campaign, but nothing is guaranteed.
Braves starting rotation needs Spencer Strider
Strider underwent season-ending elbow surgery early in the year. He entered the '24 campaign as a Cy Young candidate, but made just two starts before suffering an elbow injury.
Strider features some of the best stuff as a pitcher in all of baseball. He throws a hard fastball that is offset by breaking pitches with plenty of movement. As a result, Strider led the league in strikeouts in 2023 and finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting.
Many people around the MLB world felt that Strider could take the next step toward winning the Cy Young in 2024. In all reality, Strider will likely compete for the award at some point down the road. The Braves need Strider to return and stay healthy, however.
