Atlanta Braves fans have eagerly awaited the return of their star player, Ronald Acuña Jr. It's been a disappointing year for him thanks to multiple hamstring injuries. However, he is working his way back on a rehab assignment with the Gwinnett Stripers right now. There was initial reporting that he could rejoin the team in Baltimore. Unfortunately, that didn't happen after an announcement from Walt Weiss.
Unfortunately, Braves fans will have to wait a bit longer before they get to see Acuña in action again, and that stinks. Braves insider Chad Bishop reported that Weiss stated on Friday afternoon that the Stripers were slated to play a doubleheader on Saturday after Friday's game was rained out. Atlanta's manager stated there's a chance Acuña would play in both games.
Walt Weiss said this afternoon that with the Stripers scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday, “There's a chance (Ronald Acuña Jr. will) play both.”
— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) July 24, 2026
And because of that, the slim chance he plays with the Braves this weekend in Baltimore is now slimmer. https://t.co/A4YeX49wkv
Ronald Acuña Jr.'s return looks like it will have to wait until at least Monday, but that may be for the best
Acuña Jr. has been primarily a DH in the games he's played so far on his rehab assignment. He's played right field a couple of times at Triple-A, but the assumption is that he will DH for the Braves when he returns as well. He could play the outfield as long as he's feeling 100%, but expect the Braves to be very cautious with him. They are letting him determine when he returns, as Weiss stated, "He’ll let us know when he feels like he’s ready to go.”
It seems he is physically feeling fine, but Atlanta wants him to be impactful as soon as he returns. His exit velocity has looked great so far. Since they don't expect him to play in Baltimore, fans will be looking forward to Monday's series opener against the Mets.
There was a slight scare with Acuña on Thursday where he appeared to tweak something on a swing. Luckily, it was simply that his cleat was stuck in the ground and made his foot turn awkwardly. He walked it off and is just fine.
The offense missed him horribly during June, but they have really turned things back up in July. That makes it a bit easier for the team to give him as much time as he needs. They don't want him to injure that hamstring a third time.
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