Ronald Acuna Jr. inches closer to Braves return, but timeline remains blurred

The Atlanta Braves currently boast the best record in MLB. Sitting at a dominant 31-15, the club continues to roll even with superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. sidelined. While Acuña was recently spotted progressing through a running program, the exact timeline for his highly anticipated return remains a major talking point around the team.
According to a video shared by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Acuna has advanced to running bases, suggesting his return to the active roster is drawing closer. However, the organization has yet to establish a definitive target date, as manager Walt Weiss noted that he must clear the hurdle of playing the outfield before being activated.

Even without Acuna anchoring the lineup, the Braves have barely skipped a beat during the opening stretch of the regular season. Their performance proves that this powerhouse franchise is built to thrive, maintaining elite status with or without their star hitter in the mix.

Following an emotional series where Los Angeles Dodgers icon Freddie Freeman looked back on his career milestones, Atlanta is locked in on keeping its regular-season momentum alive. Adding a healthy Acuna back into the equation will only amplify their potent attack.

What is the expectation for Acuna’s return?

With the dynamic outfielder already checking boxes by running the bases, some analysts speculate that Acuña could be targeting a return for the upcoming series against the Washington Nationals, which is scheduled to kick off on May 22.

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Ultimately, his activation will depend entirely on how his knee responds to outfield drills. Weiss emphasized that defensive tracking and lateral movement represent the final steps in his rehab progression for the Braves, who wrap up their current series against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Acuna’s impact in the regular season

Before landing on the 10-day Injured List with a left hamstring strain on May 3, Acuna Jr. was having a relatively quiet power stretch by his standards, though his elite on-base skills remained perfectly intact.

Here are his official stats for the 2026 regular season: