Braves News: Ronald Acuña Jr. returns to lineup after injury scare with a great one again

After a little hiatus from baseball, the Atlanta slugger is now back in the starting lineup.
The great outfielder for the Atlanta Braves will finally make a comeback to the starting lineup on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays in Spring Training, much to the relief of the team’s supporters.

Only a few games were played by Ronald Acuña Jr. before he had to cope with some right knee stiffness following a rundown during a game. It was the same knee that required surgery to fix back in 2021. Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing more serious than meniscus irritation.

The native of Venezuela took a few days off to recover his knee. Atlanta gradually got him back to baseball activity by taking things day by day. In order to decide when to insert him back into the lineup, Brian Snitker stated he was paying close attention to the Braves training staff.
After seeing his surgeon in Los Angeles, Acuña was eager to get back in the lineup and was making jokes with the media about it when he returned to camp. That in and of itself demonstrated that it was a small setback and did not depress him.

It’s encouraging that the group has enough faith in him to start him again. In order to prevent Ronald from playing too much too soon, he will be the designated hitter for the game on Thursday. The Braves’ trip to Philadelphia to start the regular season is in precisely two weeks.

They will want their MVP to be fit and prepared to help the club win another World Series. In terms of stolen bases, he is already expected to lead the league in 2024. That demonstrates his immense value to this group.

Austin Riley is another noteworthy addition to the Atlanta starting lineup. Riley returns to the lineup on Thursday after missing a couple days of play due to illness. The Braves third baseman, who is aiming to win a Gold Glove or MVP this season, has had a fantastic spring.

We need him and Acuña to be as healthy as possible going into the lengthy season of baseball because they are vital players in this Atlanta lineup. Chris Sale will start for Atlanta against the Rays at 1:05 PM EST on the mound.