While the Atlanta Braves offseason may not have been filled with tons of free-agency splashes, the signing of outfielder Jurickson Profar may be one of the most important signings for Alex Anthopoulos as Ronald Acuña Jr. continues to rehab and make his way back from an ACL tear in his left knee.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said as he joined Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden on Tuesday ahead of Atlanta’s final preseason game with the Cubs, praising Profar for his ability to “fit right in from Day 1,” with the club.
“He’s going to be a really good add for us in our lineup and when we get Ronald back, it’s going to be really deep,” Snitker said to Shapiro and Golden of Profar, who finished the 2024 season with a .280 batting average, 158 hits, and 24 home runs in 564 plate appearances for the Padres. This will be production the Braves surely look to continue even with the eventual return of Acuña Jr.
“He’s been fun to be around," said Snitker. "He loves to play, he loves to work and I think he’s one of those guys where he’s not going to get tired, he’s going to get sleepy."
And while there is no timeline for Acuña to rejoin the Braves lineup, when the time comes, it appears Atlanta will look for Profar to continue being a contributor and Snitker notes the Curacao native likely feels the same way.
“He expects to play every day and like I said, he’s fit right in here,” Snitker said, describing Profar as someone who loves to play baseball.