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NORTH PORT, Fla. — Ronald Acuña Jr. left his visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache expecting to be in the Braves’ Opening Day lineup.
ElAttrache confirmed that Acuña’s recent discomfort in his right knee was the result of irritation around the meniscus. The reigning National League MVP will gradually increase his baseball activities over the next week and the Braves said they expect him in the lineup for their regular-season opener on March 28 in Philadelphia.
“I feel very good,” said Acuña, who no longer needs an interpreter. “I feel like nothing happened.”
Although he took a red-eye flight and didn’t return to Braves camp until early Tuesday morning, Acuña was in good spirits. After batting practice, he waded into members of the media who were limping toward them while he used his bat as a crutch.
Now that Acuña is back in camp, when could he start playing again?
“I feel like I can play today,” Acuña said. “I can play every day. But I have a boss. When 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 visit ElAttrache in California was just a precautionary measure. The famous surgeon had surgically repaired this same knee after the Braves right fielder tore his ACL in 2021. It made sense for him to confirm that there was no structural damage.
Acuña hurt his knee while on a run between second and third base on Thursday against the Twins. He stayed in the game for two more innings and exited when many of the other Braves regulars did. He took batting practice Friday and planned to play against the Orioles that afternoon.
But when he told medical staff he was sore, the Braves sent him for an MRI, which showed irritation around the meniscus.
Concerns about Acuna eased Saturday, when the Braves didn’t even send a golf cart to transport him from the players’ parking lot to the clubhouse. In fact, he walked without a noticeable limp.
With three weeks left until Opening Day, the Braves have plenty of time to make sure Acuña makes all the necessary preseason preparations.