Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. News Surfaces Before Marlins Game

Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. News Surfaces Before Marlins Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Atlanta Braves are entering the second half of the season outside the playoff picture for the first time in several years, sitting at 50-67 and 17 games under .500.

Underperformance and nagging injuries have plagued the lineup, but none have been more impactful than the absence of Ronald Acuna Jr., who has played in just 55 games.

The 27-year-old superstar has been the face of the franchise since his electric rookie debut in 2018, when he swept NL Rookie of the Year voting and quickly became one of the league’s most dynamic talents.

His performance has never been in doubt, but availability has been a recurring concern. He missed the first two months of 2025 and was placed on the injured list on July 30 with a Grade 1 right calf strain.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Injury Update

Although 2025 is shaping up to be a lost season for Atlanta — likely their first without a postseason berth since 2017 — Acuna has made it clear he despises being away from his teammates and intends to return as soon as possible.

Before Sunday’s series finale against the Miami Marlins, an encouraging update surfaced: Acuna had been running sprints and participating in outfield drills.

Ronald Acuña Jr. has been doing sprinting and start/stop drills in the outfield, now going first to third on the back edge of the infield. Looks springy as usual. He's eligible to come off the 10-day IL (went on July 30).

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) August 10, 2025

Despite Injuries, Acuna Remains Face of Braves’ Future

Acuna is already eligible for activation and is expected to rejoin the lineup once fully healthy. In his 55 games this year, Acuna has looked as dominant as ever despite coming off a second ACL tear in his left knee, hitting .306 with a 1.005 OPS, 14 home runs, and 26 RBIs.

Even so, his production hasn’t been enough to lift a Braves lineup that ranks in the bottom half of the league in run scoring. When Acuna returns to the field in 2025, it will likely be focused on building momentum and ramping up his workload as Atlanta pivots toward a postseason push in 2026.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.