After six games with the Atlanta Braves‘ Triple-A team, outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., one of MLB’s premier talents, was declared healthy to return to the big leagues after his ACL surgery in July.
He had to endure nine months of being away from the field as his team celebrated the World Series title, rest, and several stages of rehab to get to this point.
Acuna was on his way to a phenomenal campaign last year, but the injury cut everything short.
He was hitting .283/.394/.596 with a career-high .990 OPS, 24 home runs and 17 stolen bases.
If he hadn’t gotten injured, he had a shot at a 40-40 season.
Now, after missing the first few weeks of the 2022 campaign, he is ready to play.
Not only he is ready to return and play the field, but he says he feels better than before.
He Vows To Be Better Than Before
MLB pitchers are not too thrilled about learning that!
“I didn’t know if I would come back and be the same. Now I’m healthy again. Actually, I feel better than I was,” he said, per Bally Sports Braves.
Advance warning from @ronaldacunajr24 👀 pic.twitter.com/wkfXRK9JnW
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) April 21, 2022
At 24, Acuna’s best years are probably in front of him, and he will make sure his presence is felt night in and night out.
He is a top athlete, so his stats will surely not suffer much, except for maybe the stolen bases.
The traits that make him a stellar player, however, are probably still there: contact ability, an excellent eye, enormous raw power, speed, and defense.
The Braves are hoping Acuna’s presence in the lineup can help them string together a few victories that help them get closer to the New York Mets in the standings.
He is certainly capable.
