Braves fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is dealing with irritation around the meniscus in his right knee after appearing in three spring training games in Florida. The star outfielder went just 1-for-7 with one double and one RBI over his three appearances, and he also was caught stealing in his lone attempt.
Atlanta is taking a cautious approach with its franchise player, who had ACL surgery on the same knee in July 2021.
Acuña is coming off a historic 2023 campaign. He became the first MLB player to register 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a single season, leading the Braves to an MLB-best 104 wins.
How serious is Acuña's knee injury? The Sporting News has you covered with the latest updates below.
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Ronald Acuña Jr. knee injury update
Acuña had his sore right knee examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday — the same doctor who performed surgery on the NL MVP's torn right ACL in July 2021, The Athletic's David O'Brien reported. The team announced Monday Acuña has irritation in his meniscus, and noted he is expected to "gradually increase baseball activities and is expected to be ready for Opening Day."
Acuña was scratched from the Braves spring training lineup on Friday, March 1, due to a sore right knee. The team originally classified the move as a "precautionary measure," but that changed following an MRI, according to O'Brien's report.
Acuña's right ACL surgery limited him to just 82 games in 2021, and the star outfielder was slow to shake off the rust the following season.
He bounced back in a big way in 2023, leading MLB with 217 hits, 149 runs, 73 stolen bases and a .416 on-base percentage. The unanimous NL MVP hit 41 home runs to go with 106 RBI, and his 1.102 OPS led the National League.
How long will Ronald Acuña Jr. be out?
The Braves are hopeful that Acuña will be ready for Opening Day.
“Right now we’re trying to be optimistic,” Braves manager Brian Snitker told The Athletic on Saturday. “Maybe [he’s out for] just a couple of weeks or whatever, just to calm everything down. But honestly, I don’t know until we get what the doctor out there says.”
Acuña seemed optimistic as well, posting a straightforward message on social media: "I'LL BE BACK."
I’ll BE BACK 🏃🏾♂️
— Ronald Acuña Jr. (@ronaldacunajr24) March 2, 2024
Atlanta will kick off its season on Thursday, March 28, with a three-game series in Philadelphia against its NL East division-rival Phillies.
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Braves schedule 2024
You can find the Braves' first two series of the 2024 season below.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| March 28 | at Phillies | 3:05 p.m. |
| March 30 | at Phillies | 4:05 p.m. |
| March 31 | at Phillies | 1:35 p.m. |
| April 1 | at White Sox | 2:10 p.m. |
| April 2 | at White Sox | 7:40 p.m. |
| April 3 | at White Sox | 2:10 p.m. |
Atlanta will not play its first home series until Friday, April 5, when it hosts the defending NL champion Diamondbacks for three games.