Acuna acing minor league rehab stint for Braves

ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. is attacking his minor league rehabilitation project as if motivated to hurry the Atlanta Braves’ Might 6 goal date for coming off the injured listing.

Acuna, 24, working his approach again from a torn proper ACL, stole his second base of his rehab whereas having two hits and a stroll on Friday with Triple-A Gwinnett, a efficiency that caught the eye of Braves supervisor Brian Snitker.

“Taking a look at among the video, I believe he may need been slightly extra lively than you wished to see,” Snitker mentioned with a smile Saturday earlier than Atlanta’s 9-7 loss to the Miami Marlins. “[But these are] good indicators that he is proper the place he must be.”

On Saturday, the Braves star outfielder saved it going. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and three walks. All informed, Acuna is 5-for-12 for the Stripers.

Atlanta, a bit inconsistent out of the gate this season because it transitions from some roster adjustments, might use Acuna nowadays. The World Sequence champions are simply 7-9, together with 4-5 at residence, and can take a minus-13 run differential into their Sunday recreation vs. the Marlins.

On Saturday, pinch hitter Garrett Cooper’s bases-loaded, go-ahead single within the seventh drove in two runs as Miami outlasted Atlanta. Trailing 7-6, the Marlins rallied with three runs towards Braves hard-throwing rookie Spencer Strider (0-1), who gave up two hits and two walks with out recording an out. The Braves’ bullpen gave up six runs.

Earlier within the night time, Miami’s Jorge Soler obtained his Braves World Sequence ring earlier than lacing a run-scoring single within the sixth inning. Soler is one among many Braves from the title group not with the membership now; Freddie Freeman, who’s enjoying first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is one other, however Acuna could possibly assist the membership restore some order quickly sufficient.

Acuna is a two-time All-Star and was enjoying like an MVP contender final season earlier than injuring his proper knee within the outfield at Marlins Park on July 10. He was hitting .283 with 24 residence runs and a .990 OPS in 82 video games on the time of the damage, and was left a spectator for Atlanta’s World Sequence title run.

When Acuna was formally assigned to the minors, Snitker, waiting for his return to the majors, mentioned the outfielder “will likely be a lift for this membership,” and he has actually been that for its associates thus far.

The Related Press contributed to this report.