The target date for Ronald Acuna Jr. to make his highly anticipated return to the Braves lineup on his way back from a torn ACL has been May 6th, but if you’ve been following his rehab stint with AAA Gwinnett, it seems like the young superstar could be ready even sooner.
While the Stripers fell to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the headline is the fact that Acuña reached base five times Saturday with two hits and three walks as the DH. His performance certainly won’t curb the enthusiasm of Braves fans that are ready to see Acuña back with the big league club, especially after manager Brian Snitker told reporters yesterday—before the Stripers game took place—that the May 6th target date is not set in stone.
92.9 The Game’s Braves reporter Joe Patrick joined Sam & Greg this morning and said that it’s hard to imagine he’ll be in AAA much longer with the way he's playing.
“I figured that when they set a date there, it was for a specific reason medically and that the doctors wouldn’t want him back any sooner, but you look at him playing in Gwinnett and it’s undeniable. It’s like he’s playing on rookie mode on the video game…We very well could see him, probably within the next week if he keeps doing this kind of stuff," Patrick said.
In addition to hitting .417 in four games with Gwinnett, Acuña has shown his range in the outfield and speed on the base paths with a pair of stolen bases.
Patrick also noted that Acuña’s competitive nature is likely pushing him to play his best in an effort to get that date pushed up and that it’s clear that the injury hasn’t slowed him down at all.
Acuña’s bat is sorely missed in the Braves lineup as we move through the early portion of the 2022 season, and while he may DH some as he eases back into the swing of things, his defensive effort will also be a boost in the outfield.