The Braves announced this morning that they have reinstated Ronald Acuña Jr. from the 10-day injured list. Buster Olney of ESPN reported the move a bit before the official announcement. Acuña has been out since early June due to a hamstring strain. Fellow outfielder Brewer Hicklen was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to open a spot on the roster.
This was Acuña’s second time in 2026 that a hamstring injury has sent Acuña to the injured list. He missed just over two weeks the first time around. Acuña experienced renewed symptoms only three weeks after being activated last time, so Atlanta took a more cautious and measured approach with his second stint. They’ll now hope the injury is completely in the rearview mirror.
Acuña hasn’t played to his sky-high standards when healthy this year but has nonetheless been well above average at the plate. He’s slashed .251/.373/.421 (121 wRC+) with seven homers, 10 doubles, a triple and 15 steals (in 22 attempts). Both this year’s 14.8% walk rate and 22% strikeout rate would be the second-best of his career in a full 162-game season.
While the Braves have had a few offensive outbursts during Acuña’s absence — most notably a 15-1 romp over the Rangers, a 14-3 blowout over the Mets and a 10-5 win over the Pirates — their offense on a rate basis has been well below par with him on the shelf. That can’t be solely attributed to one players’ injury, of course, but Atlanta hitters are batting .236/.303/.392 since Acuña’s placement on the 10-day IL. The resulting 90 wRC+ ranks 24th in the majors.
Acuña should breathe some much-needed life into the Atlanta offense. His return will give manager Walt Weiss far more options to ponder in the lineup. He could more strictly platoon Mike Yastrzemski and Mauricio Dubón in one corner spot. Alternatively, Dubón, who has played almost exclusively in the outfield since Acuña’s injury, could see some more reps at shortstop, too. Rookie Jim Jarvis has been playing there recently, but his bat has cooled down after a hot first week in the big leagues (.229/.289/.371 over his past 41 plate appearances).
Atlanta has been on the lookout for help in virtually every area with the trade deadline looming next Monday. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said recently that he’d jump at the opportunity to add a playoff-caliber starting pitcher but also listed a need for another bat and some bullpen help. The Braves could look for corner outfield help even with Acuña back from the injured list. Yastrzemski hasn’t hit well this year, even against right-handed pitching, though he’s on a two-year deal and will probably be given more leash as a result. At the very least, another right-handed bat in the outfield could improve the team’s fortunes against lefties; Atlanta’s team-wide .303 OBP versus lefties is tied for the third-worst mark in Major League Baseball.
