ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves resumed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list on Thursday, more than a week before the team’s target date for his return from knee surgery.
Acuna is expected to take the lead in Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs. He may initially split time between right field and designated hitters.
The defending World Series Braves champion struggled early in the season and is still looking for his first series win after sharing the first two games of his three-game streak with the Cubs.
The Braves will look to Acuna to bolster their lineup after showing in his rehab stint with Triple-A Gwinnett that he’s recovered from the surgery that ended his 2021 season.
Acuna was 2-for-5 for Gwinnett Wednesday night, hitting .368 with three stolen bases in six games.
Despite Acuna’s strong performance on his rehab assignment, the Braves had appeared firm in their plan to remain cautious ahead of his scheduled May 6 return.
However, there had been some signs that Acuna was influencing that plan. On Wednesday, manager Brian Snitker said the team will wait until after Acuna’s scheduled nine innings with Gwinnett Thursday night before deciding on their next game.
The Braves’ decision to activate Acuna may have been motivated by the eight- to 12-week loss of Eddie Rosario. Rosario, last season’s NL Championship Series MVP, had a laser procedure to correct blurred vision and swelling in his right eye on Wednesday.
The Braves named outfielder Alex Dickerson for the job of clearing a spot for Acuna on the active roster.