Ever since Ronald Acuña Jr. fouled a ball off his shin earlier this week, Atlanta Braves fans far and wide have been understandably concerned. Despite the team's best attempts to calm everyone with talk about all of his scans coming back clean and that he was truly day-to-day, it is hard to shake the feeling of déjà vu that another late-season injury could derail the Braves' playoff hopes.
Before Wednesday's game against the Reds, manager Walt Weiss noted that while Acuña Jr. was out of the lineup, that he came very close to convincing Weiss to let him play. That was encouraging, but no one was going to truly relax until they see Acuña Jr. back in the lineup and playing like everyone thinks he can.
Thankfully, those wishes have been granted, as Acuña Jr. is indeed back in the lineup on Thursday and batting second for the series finale against Cincinnati.
Series finale!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/QatUxcdr7N
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 24, 2026
Ronald Acuña Jr. is back in the lineup against the Reds, which is a huge sigh of relief
The proof is in the pudding, as it were, and being cautiously optimistic remains the smartest play for now. While Acuña Jr. being healthy enough to be in the lineup is great, that doesn't mean that he is at 100%, and it will be important to watch how he runs the bases and chases down fly balls before we get too excited.
That said, this is absolutely a step in the right direction, and comes at a perfect time. Playing today not only gives Acuña Jr. a chance to get a little bit more playing time ahead of the postseason to get sharp, and it is coming against a pitcher he (and several other Braves) have had success against in the past in Brady Singer.
Nothing is guaranteed, and we won't know if Acuña Jr. can pick up where he left off before the errant foul ball. That said, for the moment, it appears as though the previous calls to avoid panic over his injury were well-warranted.
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