It's been over a week since Ronald Acuña Jr. was scratched from a Braves with a sore knee after tweaking it during a rundown against the Twins. Although Braves fans were in a constant state of concern for the next three days, they eventually got the news that there was no structural damage to his knee and would be ready for Opening Day.
Despite the good news, there was no word on when the reigning NL MVP would be back on the field, with the slugger even saying on Tuesday, "I don't know when I'll play again, but I feel like I can play today -- I can play every day."
The Braves have been slow ramping up their best player, but on Thursday Acuña Jr. took batting practice, and on Saturday, he took another step forward.
Ronald Acuña Jr. plays in a sim game and goes yard (we think)
Although there are no reports on how many ABs he got on the backfields, he did look quite good in the AB that made its way to social media, taking this pitch deep into the outfield.
#Braves Ronald Acuña Jr. (knee) got some at-bats in a simulated game this afternoon.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) March 9, 2024
He looks good to me.
📽 Leandro Soto Jr. on IGhttps://t.co/9HWN36mrhK pic.twitter.com/4CENBestaq
Sounds like a home run to me.
Once the 26-year-old is back on the field in games, the Braves expect him to be just as aggressive as he was last season. Manager Brian Snitker told the media, "For now, you've just got to let a kid like that loose and let him play his game."
There's still no news when Acuña will return to the lineup, even after his appearance in the simulation game, but he still has plenty of time to ramp up for Opening Day, with there still being more than three full weeks before the Braves take on the Phillies in Philadelphia.
We're certainly looking forward to seeing him back in the lineup whenever the Braves feel like he's ready.