The Atlanta Braves announced the return of their best player, Ronald Acuna Jr., to their everyday lineup.
The outfielder was playing some tune-up games in Triple-A Gwinnett, as he was recovering from a torn ACL suffered last year, in July.
In six games, he hit .368/.520/.421 with a double and a .941 OPS.
He was expected back in late April or early May, and the Braves, currently 5.5 games behind the red-hot New York Mets, made sure to bring him back as soon as they could.
There is a fun story behind his call-up.
“The Braves FaceTimed Acuña around 1 a.m. and asked him if he wanted to play right field tonight. He started screaming and celebrating,” Braves beat writer for MLB.com Mark Bowman tweeted on Thursday.
The Braves FaceTimed Acuña around 1 a.m. and asked him if he wanted to play right field tonight. He started screaming and celebrating.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 28, 2022
The Braves Badly Need Acuna
Without Freddie Freeman, who departed to Los Angeles via free agency, and the rehabbing Acuna, the Braves have slumped to an 8-11 record in the early going.
They need a spark to start winning games in bunches, and Acuna is the perfect boost for their lineup.
The dynamic outfielder was on his way to a historic season last year before tearing his ACL while fielding a ball in the outfield in July.
He was hitting .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 82 games and 360 plate appearances.
He had an outside shot at becoming a member of the exclusive 40-40 club, but the injury ruined those plans.
There is no reason to think he can’t return to producing at a similar pace this time around, although we could see him running less to protect his surgically-repaired knee.
In any case, the Braves are getting back a crucial piece of their lineup, and that piece, Acuna, couldn’t be more happy about returning.
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