NORTH PORT, Fla. – Ronald Acuña Jr. left his visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache and was excited to be there on Opening Day for the Braves.
ElAttrache confirmed that Acuña's recent right knee discomfort was due to irritation in the meniscus area. The reigning National League MVP will gradually increase his baseball activity over the next week, and the Braves said they expect him to be in the lineup for their regular-season opener March 28 in Philadelphia.
“I feel great,” Acuña said, no longer needing an interpreter. “I feel like nothing happened.”
Even though he took a Red Eye flight and didn't return to Braves camp until early Tuesday morning, Acuña was in high spirits. After taking batting practice, he interacted with waiting media members by limping toward them, using his bat as a crutch.
Now that Acuña is back in camp, when might he start playing in games again?
“I feel like I can play today,” Acuña said. “I can play every day. But I have a boss. If they tell me I can play, I will play.”
So what does the boss think?
“When [head athletic trainer George Poulis] tells me he can play, I’ll put him there,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
The Braves' decision to have Acuña ElAttrache visit California was just a precautionary measure. The famous surgeon had surgically repaired the same knee after the Braves right fielder tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2021. It just made sense that he confirmed there was no structural damage.
Acuña injured his knee while between second and third base against the Twins on Thursday. He stayed in the game for two more innings, exiting when many of the other Braves regulars did. He took batting practice on Friday and planned to play against the Orioles in the afternoon.
But when he told medical staff he was sore, the Braves sent him for an MRI, which revealed irritation in the meniscus area.
Worries about Acuña subsided Saturday when the Braves didn't even send a golf cart to transport him from the players' parking lot to the clubhouse. He actually walked without a noticeable limp.
With Opening Day still three weeks away, the Braves have plenty of time to ensure Acuña makes all the necessary preparations for the season.