Acuña returns from hamstring injury, boosts Braves playoff push

Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to the Atlanta Braves on Monday after missing nearly seven weeks with a left hamstring strain, a move that gave a first-place club a needed surge as the NL East race tightened. Atlanta activated the 2023 National League MVP from the injured list after he had not played since June 9.

The Braves brought Acuña back at a pivotal point in the season. Atlanta entered the second half with a 55-40 record and a narrow grip on the division while the Phillies closed quickly behind them, a backdrop that made every healthy inning from Acuña carry postseason weight. His absence had stretched across 37 games, and the lineup had spent much of the summer without its most explosive bat and one of its most dangerous baserunners.

Atlanta did not rush the process. The club used Triple-A Gwinnett as part of Acuña’s rehab assignment, and Acuña hit a grand slam in his third rehab game after the strain. Walt Weiss said the Braves wanted enough at-bats for Acuña’s timing to be ready when he rejoined the roster, a sign that Atlanta treated the return as both a lineup decision and a health-management call. Acuña was expected to lead off when he came back, restoring a dynamic top-of-the-order presence that changes how opponents pitch to the middle of Atlanta’s order.

The return mattered beyond the box score because hamstring injuries are especially fragile for players whose game depends on sudden acceleration, hard turns and aggressive base running. Acuña’s combination of speed, power and defensive range forces a club to weigh immediate October positioning against the risk of another setback. Atlanta had already dealt with a second hamstring issue for Acuña this season, after placing him on the 10-day injured list in June with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.

The Braves have had to manage Acuña carefully for more than a year. In May 2025, they activated him almost one year after he tore the ACL in his left knee, underscoring how often Atlanta has had to balance urgency with caution around one of baseball’s most recognizable stars. His presence now reshaped not only the batting order but also outfield alignment, stolen-base options and the confidence level inside a clubhouse chasing division stability and a cleaner path into October.