2 min read • April 04, 2022
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Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will reportedly begin the season on the 10-day injured list, a positive sign in his bid to return from the torn right knee ACL he suffered last season.
The 24-year-old is nearing the nine-month mark in his recovery and did not play during spring training.
The team is reportedly targeting a late April return for the 2018 rookie of the year with the hope of him returning to the outfield sometime in late May.
The ProBaseballDocs agree have detailed how Acuña is progressing through his recovery. His hitting will be ahead of his running and fielding, thus the Braves are taking a smart approach to have him start the season at DH.
Without Acuña, Atlanta will likely start Eddie Rosario, Guillermo Heredia and Adam Duvall in the outfield. Marcell Ozuna seems in line to get a majority of the DH starts at the beginning of the season.
Despite losing Freddie Freeman this offseason, the Braves got a more than capable replacement in Matt Olson. They did have to give up top outfield prospect Christian Pache, but the defending World Series champs should have plenty of outfield depth to last until Acuña can return to right field.
The Braves open the season Thursday against Cincinnati. They have the fifth best odds to win the World Series, +1200, and are the favorites to win the division, +125, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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