For the past week, Atlanta Braves fans have eagerly awaited the return of pitcher Spencer Strider from the injured list. On Sunday, Atlanta made that return official when they activated the righty from the IL.
Unfortunately, Sunday was not all good news when it came to roster moves. In addition to bringing back Strider and optioning Hunter Stratton, the Braves placed superstar right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the IL with a strained left hamstring.
The #Braves today returned RHP Spencer Strider from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list after optioning RHP Hunter Stratton to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game. Additionally, the club selected OF José Azócar to the major league…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 3, 2026
Spencer Strider's return is official, but Ronald Acuña Jr. is officially head to the IL
When Ronald Acuña Jr. pulled up with an injury running to first during Saturday's game, Braves country knew that there was a high likelihood the 2025 All-Star would be missing at least some time with an apparent hamstring injury. Those fears were confirmed when the Braves made it official by placing him on the IL. To take his place, Atlanta added outfielder José Azócar to the active roster.
Azócar made two appearances for the 2025 Braves in-between stints with New York Mets. This year in Gwinnett, he has a.768 OPS in 113 plate appearances.
This is no doubt a huge loss for the Braves, who have continued their red-hot start to the 2026 season into the beginning of May. While Acuña's overall numbers haven't been what we've come to expect from the former MVP, his expected metrics indicate that he was getting lucky, and his overall production has been solid over the last week.
The Braves have not specified the severity of the right fielder's injury, so there's still no ETA for a return. As Scott Coleman of the Hammer Territory podcast pointed out, if Acuña has a grade 1 strain, he could only miss a couple of weeks. If it's a grade 2 strain, he could miss a few months.
This is certainly an unfortunate development, and somewhat dampens the excitement of Spencer Strider's 2026 season debut. For now at least, the Braves need their outfield depth to step up, as Eli White and Mike Yastrzemski have been two of the few weak points so far this season.
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