For the last few days, the big question surrounding the Atlanta Braves was when superstar right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. would return from the injured list. Although the 28-year-old had been eligible to return from the IL since Wednesday, the Braves wanted to exercise caution when it came to Acuña's hamstring.
On Sunday, the Braves told reporters that Acuña Jr. was unlikely to return during the four game series against the Marlins in Miami due to the turf. However, just 24 hours later, Atlanta did a complete 180, activating Acuña from the IL.
To make room for Acuña on the active roster, Atlanta placed infielder Kyle Farmer on the IL with an injured forearm.
The #Braves today reinstated OF Ronald Acuña Jr. from the injured list and placed INF Kyle Farmer on the 10-day injured list, backdated to May 16, with a strained right forearm.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 18, 2026
Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from the IL just in time for the series against the Marlins
Although Acuña hasn't played to his peak capabilities, the Braves have certainly missed the star in the lineup. Since Acuña went on the IL on May 3 with a hamstring strain, Atlanta has scored 56 runs, which is tied for 15th in MLB, averaging 4.3 runs per game. Prior to Acuña's IL stint, the Braves had scored the most runs in baseball and averaged 5.7 runs per game.
While part of the issue is a few of the everyday starters starting to slump, Acuña Jr. still has the second-highest OBP on the team. Simply avoiding outs and helping flip the lineup card can go a long way in terms of scoring runs.
Although the Braves haven't necessarily struggled without their superstar, going 8-5 in the 13 games without Acuña, the club is certainly excited to get him back in the middle of a stretch where they play 13 games in 13 days. While the Braves were initially hesitant to activate Acuña for the Marlins series, they changed their mind after seeing him work out prior to Monday's game.
Kyle Farmer has only played in 10 of the Braves 47 games this year, and only has 15 plate appearances. With a roster full of position players with no options, there was going to be a crunch, and it appears Farmer's forearm gave them the flexibility to not have to expose anyone to the waiver wire.
Interestingly, Acuña Jr. is not in the lineup for Monday, but likely will be on Tuesday.
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