Ronald Acuna Jr. is back. The Braves announced this morning that they have resumed their star outfielder from the 10-day injured list – the culmination of a nine-and-a-half month rehabilitation process after tearing an ACL last July. It’s a bit of a surprise, since the Braves were targeting a May 6 return, according to manager Brian Snitker, though Snitker acknowledged at the time of this statement that the date wasn’t set in stone. In a related roster change, Atlanta named an outfielder Alex Dickerson for assignment.
Acuna, 24, is one of the game’s most dynamic talents and has been effectively since the moment he reached the majors in 2018 as a 21-year-old. Acuna had an absolute rift, ending the ’18 campaign as a near-unanimous Rookie of the Year winner, earning 27 out of 30 first place votes (two of which go to Juan Soto and one goes to Walker Buehler).
Acuna hit 26 homers and swiped 16 bases as a rookie, hitting a .293/.366/.552 clip. He’s maintained that pace in the three seasons since that time and is being removed from the injury list to build on a career batting line of .281/.376/.549 and his already impressive 105 home run tally in the big league (not to mention of 78 doubles, seven triples and 78 steals).
While some fans may fear Acuna being relegated to the big leagues, he certainly hasn’t shown any rust in his limited work with Triple-A Gwinnett so far. It’s only six games and 25 plate appearances, but Acuna is 7-for-19 with a double, six walks and three stolen bases (in three tries), which certainly paints the picture of someone with a serious knee injury firmly behind him. And with the Braves outfield producing — or not producing — at alarming levels, Atlanta Brass chose to take proactive steps to breathe some life into the offense.
Marcell Ozuna got off to a good start in left field, hitting .257/.291/.486 with four homers and five doubles this year. It’s a bit light in the OBP department, but power production has generally made up for Ozuna’s lack of walks. However, the rest of Atlanta’s outfield was nothing short of a disaster. Adam Duval achieves .197/.250/.258 in 72 plate appearances. Eddie Rosario hit .068/.163/.091 in 49 plate appearances before undergoing eye surgery that will sideline him for up to 12 weeks. Guillermo Heredia achieves .158/.273/.368 in 22 plate appearances. The Braves got some production in small samples from Infielder-turned-Utilityman Orlando Arkia and former prospect Travis Demerittebut it’s clear the current group wasn’t enough for a team with plans to defend a World Series championship.
Dickerson, at whose expense Acuna returns, was also a notable culprit when it comes to the Braves’ overall lack of insults. Signed to a one-year contract in late spring, he has been used primarily as the designated hitter against right-handed pitching, but has only won 4-33 on an extra base hit (a homer) while knocking out in a quarter of his 36 plate appearances.
Dickerson, 31, has generally been a prolific hitter in his major league career when healthy, although that health limitation played a big part. Dickerson was out for the entire 2017-18 season thanks to surgery by Tommy John and back surgery, and he has spent significant time on the injury list even during his playing season. Since the 2019 campaign, he has been placed on the injured list with wrist, shoulder, oblique, hamstring and back injuries.
Dickerson was a revelation for the 2019-20 Giants after moving from San Diego to San Francisco in exchange for minor league relievers Franklin van Gurp. In 341 plate appearances with the Giants over those two seasons, he clipped .294/.361/.552, mastered 16 home runs, 23 doubles and four triples while going with a solid 8.5% clip and in 19.1 % increased. his plate appearances (well south of the league average). However, Dickerson’s 2021 season included a trio of IL stints due to a shoulder strain, a back strain and a hamstring strain. He posted a decreased slash of .233/.304/.420 last season and has yet to correct the ship in 2022 so far.
The Braves have one week to trade Dickerson, place him on outright waivers, or release him. Given his track record and an affordable $1m salary for his 2022 contract, it’s possible another club will take a look. However, it’s equally, if not more, plausible that teams are simply waiting for Dickerson to sort out the waivers and hope to sign him as a free agent. Because he has more than five years of MLB service, Dickerson can decline assignment to the minors after resolution of waivers and still keep his salary.