Monday, March 10

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- The Braves haven’t revealed when Ronald Acuña Jr. will return from his latest knee surgery, and nobody knows what to expect from the 2023 National League MVP when he returns.

But as Acuña has spent the past couple of weeks hitting ridiculously long batting practice home runs, he has provided the reminder that he can still be something special, even with two surgically repaired knees. 

“He’s probably as strong as he’s ever been,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Acuña tore his right ACL two days before the 2021 All-Star break, and he tore his left ACL near the end of May last season. We might never see him steal as frequently as he did in 2023, when he tallied a franchise record 73 stolen bases while also hitting 41 homers.

But there’s no doubt the 27-year-old outfielder could add a few more 40-homer seasons to his collection. Injuries and COVID have limited the dynamic veteran to just two full seasons thus far (2019 and ‘23). He hit 41 homers in both of those seasons.

“[Braves hitting coach Tim Hyers] said [Acuña] was in the cage the other day whistling that bat like some guys do a Wiffle ball bat,” Snitker said. 

So, what’s the wait? 

Acuña is taking regular batting practice, and he has faced live pitching during live batting practice sessions. He has also been throwing and doing running drills that keep him on a straight path. But he hasn’t been cleared to do any cutting drills. 

Atlanta is trying to avoid Acuña having to deal with the lingering discomfort that followed him throughout the 2022 season. He returned in late April of that year, a little less than 10 months after his ’21 season ended with the knee injury.

“When he comes back, we want him to be able to go,” Snitker said. “We’re going to make sure he is ready to go when we do turn him loose.”

Once Acuña is cleared to begin cutting and playing the outfield, he will complete the final steps ahead of a Minor League rehab stint that likely would be shorter than the one Spencer Strider could begin in a couple of weeks. 

Strider threw live batting practice on Friday and talked about his progress while attempting to return from the ulnar collateral brace procedure he underwent in April. If there are enough innings available, he could pitch in at least one Grapefruit League game this spring.

If all goes well for Strider, he would be in line to join Atlanta’s rotation during the second half of April.

Like Acuña, Strider has had to be patient as he anxiously waits for the chance to get back on the field and prove he remains elite.

“God has blessed them with that ability, and they want to use it,” Snitker said.

Which Braves pitcher holds the record for most appearances in a season?

A) Jonny Venters

B) Chris Reitsma

C) Will Ohman

D) Peter Moylan

Single-game tickets for every Spring Training home game can be purchased here. 

The top remaining home Grapefruit League contests include games against the:

Red Sox on March 17

Phillies on March 20

Orioles on March 23

Concerned about how his fastball had run back toward the middle of the plate during his first couple Spring Training outings, Reynaldo López entered Friday’s start against the Twins determined to focus on one pitch. His fastball accounted for 49 of his 57 pitches, and it averaged just 93 mph.

López’s third-to-last fastball was 94.8 mph. He said he was just focused on getting a feel for his fastball command.

“I worry about velo at the end of this month and during the first part of the next,” Snitker said. “I think that was just a good Spring Training outing.”

Jurickson Profar gave everyone a scare when his left wrist bent back as he attempted to make a sliding catch during Saturday’s game against the Pirates. But the Braves breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday when a CT scan showed just a bone bruise.

The expectation is that Profar will be playing left field and in the leadoff spot when the Braves open the regular season on March 27 in San Diego. 

Needless to say, Atlanta was due for some good medical news. The club spent at least two months last season without Strider, their Opening Day starter, and five position players from their Opening Day lineup. Sean Murphy is already slated to begin the season on the injured list with a cracked left rib.

There’s still reason to think Drake Baldwin could be Atlanta’s primary catcher while Murphy recovers. There’s a chance Murphy will miss just a week or two of the regular season. If so, would Baldwin then go back to Triple-A Gwinnett?

The assumption has been that Baldwin would stay with Gwinnett until there’s a clear indication he could get regular playing time in Atlanta. That might prove to be true, at least during the early part of the season. But if the Braves think they can benefit from Baldwin’s bat at least a couple of times a week, they might carry him even if he isn’t catching more than a couple games per week.

There aren’t many concerns about Baldwin’s bat. Sure, everyone can benefit from getting regular at-bats, but would Baldwin get a greater benefit from being Murphy’s backup for at least a portion of the season? Being around the big league pitchers, coaches and analytics staff would help Baldwin’s game-calling skills.

And it wouldn’t hurt to have his left-handed bat on the bench for some late-inning situations. 

This is just one of the many options Atlanta is evaluating.

There has been an assumption that Buck Farmer will make the Braves’ Opening Day roster going back to when he signed on Feb. 16. Héctor Neris’ arrival to camp this week also put him in good position to land a bullpen spot. But don’t count out Enyel De Los Santos, another non-roster invitee who has turned heads.

D) Peter Moylan

Moylan made a franchise-record 87 appearances in 2009 and followed that with 85 appearances in '10. He did this after undergoing Tommy John surgery in '08.

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