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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 30: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on as he fields against the Washington Nationals on Opening Day at Nationals Park on March 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves are hoping to return the services of Ronald Acuña Jr. soon after he landed on the Injured List last week with a hamstring strain. Atlanta is currently taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game weekend series. In the first game of the series, the Dodgers got the best of the Braves with a 3-1 victory.
After the first game of the series, the Braves received an optimistic update on Ronald Acuña Jr., and his potential return.
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 28: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a hitting a double during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
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Ronald Acuña Jr. Likely to be Reinstated Next Week, Per Braves Reporter
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 24: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a two-run homer in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park on April 24, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MLB.com’s Braves reporter, Mark Bowman, provided some insight on when Ronald Acuña Jr. could return to the Braves lineup:
“Acuña coming off the IL when eligible on Wednesday seems optimistic. When asked, Weiss said Ronald still has some boxes to check. That being said, the fact he was doing some agility work today indicates his IL stint shouldn’t be too long.”
He’s eligible to return from the IL on Wednesday. He has not played since May 8.
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Ronald Acuña Jr. Impact with Braves
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 29: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after striking out in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Ronald Acuña Jr. has a huge impact on the Atlanta Braves in many aspects of the game. He’s the team’s leadoff hitter and is undoubtedly a catalyst for the Braves’ offense. Atlanta has still been able to pick up wins in his absence, but if Atlanta loses the series against the Dodgers (which would be their second series loss in a row after not losing a series to this point in the season), Acuna’s return could be sped up to return his services.
In 34 games this season, Ronald is hitting .252 with seven steals, two home runs, and 17 runs scored.
It’s a bit of a slow start for the 5X All-Star, but the Braves are still much better when he’s in the lineup. Acuna Jr. is a former NL MVP after a historic season in 2023, but injuries have limited him a bit since that season.
For his career, Ronald is a .288 hitter with 188 home runs and 212 stolen bases in nine MLB seasons.
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TJ French covers the MLB for Heavy. TJ is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He has 2+ years of writing experience. Follow TJ French on X: @tj_french5 More about TJ French