Atlanta, GA
3 key questions as the Atlanta Braves begin spring training
NORTH PORT, Florida — The man whose absence defined his team’s 2024 has been delightfully unavoidable so far in spring training.
Ronald Acuña Jr., the Atlanta Braves’ franchise man, a power-speed dynamo of the highest order, had his season derailed last year by a torn ACL on May 27. That injury, his second ACL tear in a four-year span on two different legs, sent him to the surgeon’s table and the Braves a’reeling. His unavailability — coupled with a seemingly never-ending cavalcade of other injuries that, most notably, included an elbow surgery to flame-throwing ace Spencer Strider — stymied Atlanta’s quest for a seventh straight NL East crown. A carousel of survivors and fill-ins admirably clawed the club into a wild-card spot, but the undermanned outfit didn’t manage to win a single playoff game.
In the Braves’ clubhouse on Friday, four days ahead of the team’s first full-squad workout, Acuña spoke for nearly 10 minutes. With an ear-to-ear smile plastered on his face, the 27-year-old addressed his recovery, his mindset, his road back and his time away. He called Atlanta’s outfield “the best outfield in baseball.” He laughed and joked, clearly overjoyed to be back in the mix. And, impressively, he did it all in English. It was, according to those regularly around the club, the longest and most engaging interview Acuña has ever given in his second language.
And he wasn’t the only notable Brave to speak on an overcast Florida morning. Alex Anthopolous, the team’s president of baseball operations, conducted his first in-person question-and-answer session of this calendar year. His eyes hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, the elusive and secretive exec peeled back a few layers about a franchise coming off its most disappointing season since 2017.
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Here’s an overview of what Acuña and Anthopolous had to say and how their comments intersect with the biggest questions facing the Braves as they seek to dethrone the Phillies in the NL East.
When will Acuña and Strider come back?
On this, Anthopolous didn’t mince words: Neither player will be on the Opening Day roster.
Acuña, who has been taking batting practice, won’t appear in any Grapefruit League games, per Anthopoulos. His biggest hurdle remaining is full-gas cutting and planting, vital movements in the outfield. Anthopolous also shared that Acuña won’t slot in at DH whenever he’s back.
But the major takeaway is that the swashbuckling Venezuelan is on schedule and in good spirits.
“The priority is that I feel great — that’s the most important thing,” Acuña shared. “When they tell me I need to play that day, I’ll be there.”
Strider, who threw a bullpen Friday, might make an appearance or two in late March, but he isn’t expected back in the bigs until late April. He hasn’t yet faced live hitters but should do so in the coming weeks.
These two players, obviously, are absolutely crucial to the 2025 Braves. The calculus of the 2024 team was equally straightforward and, thus, unfortunate. Acuña and Strider, a top-five position player and pitcher in the world, hardly played. All-Star third baseman Austin Riley missed the last month and a half. Starting catcher Sean Murphy was hurt for the first two months. Second baseman Ozzie Albies and center fielder Michael Harris II were also out for extended stretches.
But it all starts with Acuña and Strider. That the team is slow-playing this duo in spring makes sense. Setting low expectations about their return dates represents a simpler path forward, one with less opportunity for fan disappointment. So while their paths to full health will remain a huge story this spring, it was smart for Anthopoulos to be definitive and unwavering about their timelines.
Why weren’t the Braves more active over the winter?
Atlanta’s biggest offseason addition came just a few weeks ago, with the signing of outfielder Jurickson Profar. The big-grinning Curacaoan enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, earning a starting nod in the All-Star Game and, now, a sturdy, three-year deal with the Braves.
But besides that, the typically active Anthopolous was notably trigger-shy. The team’s most significant offseason trade was a salary dump in November that sent Jorge Soler to Anaheim. Meanwhile, a cadre of established players departed in free agency. Longtime ace Max Fried signed a hefty deal with the Yankees. Rotation stalwart Charlie Morton is now an Oriole. Atlanta opted to not pick up an option year on clubhouse leader and veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who is now with the Angels. The only other remaining Braves who were meaningful contributors in the 2021 World Series are Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Ian Anderson.
It’s difficult to argue that the arrivals outweigh the departures. This inactivity has elicited agitation among some Braves fans, who, understandably, want the club to take full advantage of its competitive window. But Anthopolous pushed back against the idea that his team, currently carrying the eighth-highest payroll in the game, was acting purely out of frugality.
“I think the biggest difference is we’ve spent a lot on our own players,” he said. “I think we have the most, probably, long-term contracts of the majority of teams. You start looking around the roster, not necessarily in the rotation, but we have long-term contracts all over the place. We didn’t have that many holes.
“Now we’ve lost free agents — no doubt about it. But we have some people we’re going to give opportunities to.”
Who are the temporary fill-ins for Strider and Acuña?
The most likely Opening Day outfield alignment features Profar in left, the fleet-footed Michael Harris II patrolling center and former top prospect Jarred Kelenic in right. Kelenic was underwhelming in his first year as a Brave in 2024 and figures to spend most of his time as a bench bat once Acuña returns.
With Strider on the shelf, two of the five rotation spots are up for grabs. Reigning Cy Young Chris Sale, All-Star Reynaldo Lopez and breakout rookie Spencer Schwellenbach are locks. Grant Holmes, a well-traveled vet who enjoyed a bounce-back 2024, is the favorite for the fourth spot. And Ian Anderson, who shined as a youngster with the Braves before he suffered a bout of injuries, seems primed to grab the temporary fifth spot.
It’s a group that, until Strider returns, looks a little light, but Anthopolous explained that he didn’t want to crowd the pitching situation by adding another free-agent arm.
Atlanta, GA
Glass and water: Atlanta art exhibits show grief in Asian American community after deadly spa shootings
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Flux Projects is a nonprofit organization in Atlanta trying to make art available to the community at no cost. It is a way for them to create a platform for people to have conversations.
They are continually working on a multi-year, multi-project series called “Flow,” exploring the different ways we use water to connect with nature, to grieve, to love. They partner with local artists to make it happen. The next installation will be coming up in Buckhead at the end of April. It is called “Braiding Time, Memory and Water.” It is a performance encouraging people to reconnect with nature.
“Today, we are in an installation called ‘Our Mothers Our Water, Our Peace.’ It is by a Korean American artist Gyun Hur,” said Flux Projects Executive Director Anne Archer Dennington.
These exhibits are also used to tell stories of grief.
“Grief never leaves but it continues to flow,” said Archer Dennington.
Every glass teardrop looks like they are falling from the ceiling. Each one is filled with water from the Chattahoochee River. The installation is an effort to portray the grief within the Asian American community after the 2021 deadly shootings at metro Atlanta spas. On March 16, eight people were killed.
“Unless we remember these things, we run the risk of repeating them. It is very important, not only for the Asian American community to remember this story, but it is important for all of us to recognize it as part of Atlanta’s history and what has happened here,” said Archer Dennington.
The teardrops are in the musical pattern of “I Have Got Peace Like a River.”
Flow is a simple name. It is a simple way of talking about big issues that might be too heavy without the art that helps translate it.
Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.
Alex Rodriguez weighs in on MLB season, Dodgers, Yankees ability to win
Alex Rodriguez talks baseball and his partnership with Lysol
Sure, the Los Angeles Dodgers are unbeaten in five games and the New York Yankees can’t stop hitting home runs, but let’s pause to consider what the San Diego Padres have pulled off.
It’s not even April, and they’ve already clinched the season series against the Atlanta Braves – and cracked the top five in USA TODAY Sports’ first power rankings installment.
Oh, it probably won’t matter, but it’s worth pondering that the most significant feat of this opening weekend was the Padres sweeping four games against Atlanta, marking six consecutive victories over them at Petco Park, dating to their wild-card steamrolling during last year’s playoffs.
Perhaps you might remember that: The Braves, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks all had to wait until hurricane-delayed Games 161 and 162 were played to determine the final NL playoff spots. Sure, most tiebreakers don’t come into play, but with the Padres and Braves very likely slotting in wild-card spots this year, it’s not entirely meaningless.
Of greater note, San Diego’s throttling of Atlanta might at least force observers to recalibrate their expectations for both teams, with the Padres perhaps providing resistance to the Dodgers in the West, while the Braves are already a pace behind what should be an excellent three-team race in the East.
Then again, 158 games remain for both.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
- You might say they, uh, torpedoed Brewers pitching.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
- Jesús Luzardo wins first start as Phillie.
- Bullpen allowed one earned run in 16 innings.
5. Baltimore Orioles
- Blasted 10 homers in four games against Toronto.
6. Texas Rangers
- Jack Leiter did enough to win first start; can Kumar Rocker follow suit?
7. Arizona Diamondbacks
- Next time, just start the guy you just gave $210 million.
8. New York Mets
- Oh, they’ll hit soon enough.
9. Houston Astros
- Spencer Arrighetti picks up where he left off after strong 2024 finish.
10. Detroit Tigers
- They’re definitely done with the Dodgers.
11. Boston Red Sox
- Rafael Devers doing anything but designated hitting: 0 for 16 with 12 strikeouts.
- Ah yes, three games at the Dodgers should wash that 0-4 start right away.
13. Cincinnati Reds
- It’d be a shame if relief woes sank an otherwise solid and charismatic roster.
14. Chicago Cubs
- Relief acquisition Eli Morgan has given up six runs in 3 ⅔ innings.
15. Seattle Mariners
- After four-run opening day explosion, they score two, zero and two runs against A’s.
16. Cleveland Guardians
- Jose Ramírez’s wrist is barking a little bit.
17. Kansas City Royals
- Tough opening series ends on grim note when pitch strikes Jonathan India in face.
18. Tampa Bay Rays
- They embrace the great outdoors with two wins over Rockies, including walk-off homer.
19. San Francisco Giants
- Maybe this Old Guys Rule rotation will work out.
20. St. Louis Cardinals
- So far, their “reset” has resulted in a perfect record.
21. Toronto Blue Jays
- The Max Scherzer thumb saga already getting painful.
22. Washington Nationals
- Dylan Crews hitless in 11 at-bats, with eight strikeouts.
23. Minnesota Twins
- Top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez with a three-hit night in Class AAA opener.
- We feel confident in saying they will not see the New York Yankees again this year.
25. Los Angeles Angels
- Tim Anderson gets a nice welcome in return to Chicago’s Southside.
26. Athletics (Sacramento)
- Their Yolo County Era begins this week.
27. Miami Marlins
- Griff Conine hits game-tying homer on night his dad is inducted into club Hall of Fame.
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
- First three losses all walk-offs. So they’re coming close.
- Chase Dollander watch: Strikes out five in four innings of first Class AAA start.
30. Chicago White Sox
- Clip and save this for posterity: Their 1.00 ERA leads the major leagues
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Police are investigating a deadly shooting at 110 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard.
ATLANTA – Atlanta police say they’re investigating a deadly shooting between a brother and sister.
What we know:
Atlanta police responded to a shooting just before 4 p.m. at 110 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard SW Sunday afternoon.
That’s where Andrew Smith, the commander of the Atlanta Police Department’s Homicide Unit, confirmed they found a man in his mid-40s suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Not only did the victim and suspected shooter know each other, Smith says they were siblings.
The victim’s sister has been taken to police headquarters for questioning.
Police believe this was a domestic situation with no threat to the public. This is an ongoing investigation.
What we don’t know:
It’s still not clear what led to the deadly shooting.
Neither the victim nor the suspected shooter have been publicly named.
The Source: This information has been confirmed by Andrew Smith, the commander of the Atlanta Police Department’s Homicide Unit.
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