Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. returned on Friday night, nearly one year removed from suffering a torn ACL, and he didn’t appear to miss a beat.
On the first pitch from San Diego Padres starter Nick Pivetta, Acuña, batting in his customary leadoff spot, turned around a four-seam fastball, sending it 467 feet to center with an exit velocity of 115.5 MPH, which is the hardest hit ball by a Brave this season.
RONALD ACUÑA JR. FIRST PITCH BACK IS A HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/WMqUpxFPWz
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 23, 2025
“I had a feeling,” Acuña said of his dramatic homer, via ESPN. “To me, that’s just the culmination of all the work I put in.”
Acuña singled in his next at-bat, finishing the day with two hits, one run, and one RBI in four plate appearances. He also shined on defense, throwing out Elias Díaz at second base in the eighth inning.
“He’s one of those players that you better not go get a beer or whatever because you might miss something really cool, you know?” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I mean, he’s that type of force, I think, in the game. I think he’s going to energize everybody. Going to energize the fans. Going to energize his teammates.”
Acuña, 27, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee nearly one year to the day of his return, on May 26, 2024. He underwent a successful surgery on June 6 and appeared in just six rehab games before returning to the Braves lineup.
“It’s huge,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “The talent is there. The energy he brings, having Ronald up there at the top of the lineup. … He can change a game at any point.”
The 2023 NL MVP has torn the ACL in both his left and right knee, with the previous injury coming in 2021. However, if Friday is any indication, Acuña appears healthy and ready to contribute to a Braves team in need of a spark.
