The Atlanta Braves were dealt a crippling blow in July of 2021 when Ronald Acuna Jr. tore his ACL.
The team still managed to win the World Series that year, however.
Acuna returned to the Braves lineup as the designated hitter in April of 2022, but was still fighting through some pain during the season.
But as we approach the 2023 season, it appears as though the former National League Rookie of the Year is feeling a lot better.
In fact, Acuna says that he’s ready to not DH anymore and go back to playing in the outfield full-time, describing himself as “feeling 100 percent.”
“I’m feeling 100 percent and I’m ready to go back to normal, and I definitely don’t want to play DH anymore,” Ronald Acuña Jr. said through Franco García
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) January 21, 2023
This is good news for the Braves.
A healthy Acuna to go along with Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Michael Harris, Ozzie Albies, and Sean Murphy means a much deeper and more explosive Braves lineup.
Atlanta won 101 games during the 2022 regular season and captured their fifth consecutive NL East division title.
Unfortunately, they were knocked out in the NLDS by the Philadelphia Phillies, who would go on to win the NL pennant for the first time since 2009.
But beating the Braves will be much harder in 2023 with a fully healthy Acuna.
The team barely edged out the New York Mets to capture yet another NL East crown.
Atlanta has been relatively quiet this offseason aside from the Murphy trade, but still have much of the same team in place from 2022 and look prepared to have yet another successful season in 2023 as they try to defend their place atop the division.
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