The Atlanta Braves manager had an update on right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr.
The Atlanta Braves are rolling through the month of May. Entering Monday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins, they owned the best record in MLB at 32-15. The most impressive part of Atlanta’s electric start is that right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has barely contributed.
The 28-year-old superstar is currently sidelined with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, and even before the injury, he was not performing to his usual standard. Expectations are always high for Acuna, a former National League MVP and five-time All-Star, but his 2026 season has been quiet so far. Across his first 34 games, he posted a .252 batting average, .362 on-base percentage, .740 OPS, two home runs and nine RBIs. He did steal seven bases, but was caught four times.
Acuna has made steady progress since being placed on the 10-day injured list. He suffered the injury in early May while running out a ball to first base against the Colorado Rockies.
Since then, he has fully resumed baseball activities. He began with agility work, then advanced to batting practice. Manager Walt Weiss has indicated that the final hurdle is being able to play defense in right field without discomfort. Unfortunately for Braves fans, that last step may not come at the start of the week.
“Braves manager Walt Weiss says that Ronald Acuna Jr. will continue working as he rehabs from the hamstring injury. The turf in Miami might impact his decision-making,” wrote Braves reporter Barrett Sallee.
The mention of the turf relates to the playing surface at LoanDepot Park, which is artificial. Turf fields can be harder on soft-tissue injuries, especially hamstrings, because they create more resistance and less natural give than grass.
For a player returning from a lower leg injury, the risk of aggravation is higher, so Weiss may prefer to wait until the Braves return home to a natural grass field before activating Acuna.
Acuna is now in his ninth season with the Braves and hopes this is his only injury setback of 2026. His injury history is lengthy, including two torn ACLs in separate seasons, and Atlanta has every reason to be cautious. With the team perfectly positioned in the NL East standings, there is no urgency to rush him back.
If Acuna does not return during the Marlins series, his next realistic chance would come Friday when the Braves begin a homestand against the Washington Nationals.