ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. stopped at Truist Park prior to the Braves' 5-4 loss Wednesday to reunite with teammates and to prepare to spend the next few days playing Minor League rehab games in suburban Atlanta for Triple-A Gwinnett.
Along with discussing how close he might be to being activated from the injured list, the 2023 National League MVP also answered questions about a recent social media post that went viral before he deleted it less than an hour after it was posted.
“It’s all in the past and we’re here now,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “We’re moving on. It was just a moment of frustration for me.”
After seeing Braves manager Brian Snitker seemingly trying to protect Jarred Kelenic for not hustling out of the box on a fly ball that hit the outfield wall, which resulted in him getting thrown out trying to reach second base on April 19 -- Acuña posted, “If it were me, they would take me out of the game.”
The post was critical of Snitker, who benched Acuña for doing this during an Aug. 19, 2019 game against the Dodgers. The then-21-year-old outfielder had done this multiple times before the benching and he continued to be a repeat offender after it occurred.
Acuña said he apologized to Snitker. But there was reason to ask if this post was indication he still harbors ill will toward his manager and that decision that occurred six years ago?
“No, this was just a moment of frustration for me,” Acuña said.
Acuña’s post also created a distraction immediately after the team had won consecutive games for the first time this season. Instead of talking about the sweep completed against the Twins on April 19, talk around the Atlanta sports world centered on the post.
“I was just frustrated with my situation of being able to return to the team,” Acuña said. “I’m coming off a second major injury, I’m in Florida, away from my teammates and the team was struggling.”
Snitker said Acuña apologized to him before he spoke to the team before Wednesday night’s loss to the Nationals.
“He had a meeting with us and he handled it well,” said Braves pitcher Bryce Elder, who tossed six innings of one-run ball Wednesday. “He did his part. That’s all you can ask for. We’re ready to have him back.”
As Acuña nears returning to Atlanta’s roster for the first time since tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament on May 26, the Braves are playing as well as they have all year. They reached the .500 mark for the first time on Tuesday and Atlanta could welcome both Acuña and Spencer Strider back as early as next week.
Acuña laughed when asked how many games he might need to play for Gwinnett before being activated. His 12-month recovery has been much more conservative than the recovery he had after tearing his right ACL on July 10, 2021. He returned to action by April 28, 2022, but battled lingering discomfort the remainder of that season.
One year later, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 40-plus homers and record 70-plus stolen bases in one season.
Gwinnett concludes its homestand on Sunday. Acuña could continue to go on the road with the Triple-A club or continue playing in Georgia with Double-A Columbus, which begins a homestand on Tuesday.
If all goes well, Acuña could be back by the time the Braves begin a homestand against the Padres on May 23. But he’ll be ready whenever the call comes.
“I'm super excited to be back,” Acuña said. “I'm just peaked with anxiety, just trying to rush back to be able to play with the guys and rejoin the team.”