Ronald Acuña Jr.'s Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) looked good taking batting practice in his home country of Venezuela earlier this week in a video that was posted by a professional baseball academy in Venezuela on Instagram. Acuna suffered a second ACL tear, this time to his left knee, at the end of May of last season and missed the rest of the year. It's good to see the 2023 National League MVP, four-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and 2018 NL Rookie of the Year swinging the bat before this offseason, but there's still a good chance he won't be ready to go for Opening Day in 2025. In 2023, Acuna was the first player in MLB history to hit 40 homers and steal 70 bases. The 27-year-old is an elite ballplayer, but ACL tears to both of his knees in a three-year span brings along plenty of risk for long-term sustainability.

According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and starting pitcher Spencer Strider (elbow) are not expected to be ready by Opening Day. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said, "We're planning on not having them on the Opening Day roster. How soon after that, we'll see how that goes. And as we get closer and get into spring training, we'll probably be able to update." Fantasy managers should continue monitoring their progress during the offseason and Spring Training; they could potentially sit out significantly during the 2025 season. Acuna suffered a torn ACL in his left knee last May, while Spencer Strider underwent an internal brace procedure in April. During the 2023 season, Acuna captured the NL MVP by hitting a stellar .337/.416/.596 line with 41 home runs and 733 stolen bases. In the same season, Strider finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting with a 3.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 281 punchouts across 186 2/3 innings of work. When healthy, both players are elite fantasy assets and would have been consensus first-round selections in all fantasy formats.

Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said that it's too early to know when outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) will be back. Anthopoulos said it could be as soon as Opening Day or as late as early June, if for some reason he needs more time. Right now, there have been no setbacks or reason to think it would be on the longer end of that timetable. Acuna tore his left ACL in 2024 and needed surgery, so he's not a lock to be ready for Opening Day next season. The 26-year-old had surgery on his knee in early June. Despite the uncertain timetable for Acuna, by draft season early next year, fantasy managers should have a bit more clarity on when Acuna might be ready to go. The four-time All-Star won the National League MVP in 2023 and led the league in runs (149), hits (217), steals (73), on-base percentage (.416), OPS (1.012) and total bases (383). He'll still be a high-end fantasy option for his upside across all categories despite coming off a major injury.