Acuña on target for Opening Day after knee exam

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Ronald Acuña Jr. exited his visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache looking forward to being in the Braves’ Opening Day lineup.

ElAttrache confirmed Acuña’s recent right knee discomfort was a product of irritation around the meniscus. The reigning National League MVP will gradually increase his baseball activities over this next week and the Braves said they expect him in the lineup for their March 28 regular season opener in Philadelphia.

“I feel great,” Acuña said, no longer needing an interpreter. “I feel like nothing happened.”

Though he took a redeye flight and didn’t get back to Braves camp until early Tuesday morning, Acuña was in great spirits. After taking batting practice, he messed with awaiting media members by limping toward them while using his bat as a crutch.

Now that Acuña is back in camp, when might he begin playing in games 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 in there,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

The Braves’ decision to have Acuña visit ElAttrache in California was just a precautionary step. The famed surgeon had surgically repaired this same knee after the Braves right fielder tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2021. It just made sense to have him confirm there was no structural damage.

Acuña tweaked his knee while he was in a rundown between second and third base on Thursday against the Twins. He remained in the game for two more innings and exited when many of the other Braves regulars did. He took batting practice on Friday and planned to play against the Orioles that afternoon.

But when he told the medical staff he was sore, the Braves sent him for an MRI, which showed irritation around the meniscus.

Concerns about Acuña were lessened on 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 make sure Acuña makes all necessary preseason preparations.

Acuña won last year’s NL MVP Award after becoming the first player to hit 40-plus homers and steal at least 70 bases in one season. His historic season proved even more satisfying given the knee injury he had suffered two seasons earlier.