ATLANTA — Braves supervisor Brian Snitker and pitcher Chris Sale each playfully stated one thing like, “We must always have anticipated it,” when speaking about Ronald Acuña Jr. homering on Friday night time in opposition to the primary pitch he noticed in practically a full calendar yr.
Acuña really didn’t appear stunned after hitting a 467-foot leadoff homer within the Braves’ 2-1 loss to the Padres at Truist Park. This was his first plate look within the 362 days that had handed since he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament. However particular gamers anticipate to do particular issues.
“I discussed to my brothers that I used to be considering or hoping that I would homer, however I didn’t wish to focus an excessive amount of on that,” Acuña stated by way of an interpreter.
Homer in some unspecified time in the future through the recreation, or in that first plate look?
“Precisely the way it occurred,” Acuña stated.
When Acuña turned on Nick Pivetta’s 93.1 mph fastball and despatched it midway up the seats past the left-center subject wall, he turned the primary participant in AL/NL historical past hit a leadoff homer of their first at-bat after lacking at the very least 150 video games.
However no person gave the impression to be shocked.
“You had a packed home of a bunch of Braves followers most likely midway anticipating one thing like that to occur,” Sale stated. “That simply sort of goes to who he’s as a participant and the electrical energy he can create on his personal. That was one of many cooler moments I’ve seen on the baseball subject.”
Acuña added a single and displayed his rocket arm with a number of throws, one which denied Elias Diaz’s bid to stretch a single to a double within the eighth. Sale added to the big day as he allowed only one run over seven innings. However Raisel Iglesias allowed a ninth-inning homer to Manny Machado, and Eli White’s baserunning mistake within the backside of the inning erased the hope of a celebratory postgame temper.
“I haven’t been in a position to play with my teammates in over a yr, and I haven’t performed in entrance of the followers in over a yr,” Acuña stated. “It was nice to be on the market. However finally we misplaced, and that is all that issues.”
Acuña supplied a glimpse of the unimaginable energy he nonetheless possesses after present process main surgical procedure on each knees throughout the previous 4 years. His franchise-record thirty fifth profession leadoff homer traveled farther (a Statcast-projected 467 ft) than every other ball hit by a Braves participant this yr.
The solo shot had an exit velocity of 115.5 mph, making it additionally the hardest-hit ball by a Braves participant this yr.
“He’s a type of gamers the place you higher not go get a beer or something since you would possibly miss one thing cool,” Snitker stated. “He’s that sort of drive within the recreation. He’s going to energise all people.”
Acuña gained the 2023 Nationwide League MVP Award after turning into the primary participant to hit 40-plus homers and steal 70-plus bases in a season. The 27-year-old proper fielder is assured he can present the identical stage of dynamic manufacturing.
“He looks like he’s locked in,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley stated. “I imply, he loves the sport of baseball. He is excited, like I stated, the power that he brings. We’re all pumped for him. It is a robust, robust battle getting back from an harm like that. And he is put within the work to be in actually good condition. So now we’re all excited.”
There was some uncertainty about Acuña’s return date till Wednesday, when he performed 9 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett and informed the Braves he felt prepared. The plan was for him to play yet one more rehab recreation. However the workforce altered plans early Thursday night as Acuña was getting ready to take pregame batting observe in Louisville.
“Truthfully, final night time, I felt like I could not sleep very a lot,” Acuña stated by way of an interpreter. “I wakened early this morning and felt like I simply could not wait to get to the stadium. I’m very completely happy.”
Acuña is hoping this return proves to be smoother than the one he skilled in 2022, when he was activated from the injured record lower than 10 months after tearing his proper ACL on July 10, 2021. He patiently progressed by way of a much more conservative rehab course of over the previous yr.
“If it wasn’t for the primary go round, I most likely would have rushed the method and been again sooner,” Acuña stated. “However I wouldn’t have been able to play the way in which I’m. This time, we took our time, and I’m absolutely recovered.”
