Atlanta Braves activate Ronald Acuña Jr. from injured list
The Atlanta Braves have activated outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. from the injured list for a game against the New York Mets.
Atlanta Braves activate Ronald Acuña Jr. From injured list
The Atlanta Braves have activated outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. On Monday, July 27, 2026, making him available for the team's game against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The move follows reports earlier in the day from ESPN's Buster Olney.
Acuña Jr. Returns after missing 38 games. He had been on the injured list since June 10 due to a left hamstring strain, an injury that forced him to exit a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 9. The five-time All-Star had appeared in 53 contests this season prior to the injury, posting a slash line of .251/.373/.421 with 15 steals and seven homers.
To make room on the roster, the Braves optioned 30-year-old outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett. Hicklen had served as a surprising contributor since debuting before the All-Star Game, recording four doubles, four walks, and seven hits in 19 at-bats over eight games while filling in for Acuña Jr.
The return of the 2023 National League MVP comes as the Braves maintain a lead in the NL East. The team holds a 62-43 record, placing them 5.5 games ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. Because the Braves are the lowest-seeded division leader, they would currently host the Arizona Diamondbacks, the lowest-seeded wild-card team, if the playoffs began today.
While Acuña Jr. Is expected to return to right field, the team may utilize him as a designated hitter. This flexibility could be used against difficult left-handed pitchers or during challenging fielding conditions, particularly as the player has dealt with leg-related issues throughout the season.
The move is intended to strengthen an offense that has rebounded after the All-Star break following a period in early July and June that was described as borderline disastrous. Despite this, Acuña Jr. Has struggled relative to his own standards this year. In his 53 games played, he has provided a 120 wRC+, the second-worst mark of his career. However, that figure remains the third-highest among the team's regular position players, trailing only 2026 All-Stars Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin.
Acuña Jr., who is 28, has a career .901 OPS with 220 stolen bases and 193 home runs over nine seasons. Since his NL MVP win in 2023, health has been a recurring challenge; he has missed 218 regular-season games due to injury while appearing in 197.
