Ronald Acuna Jr. is back. The Braves announced this morning that they’ve reinstated their star outfielder from the 10-day injured list — the culmination of a nine-and-a-half-month rehabilitation process following an ACL tear sustained last July. It’s a bit of a surprise, as the Braves had been targeting a May 6 return according to manager Brian Snitker, though Snitker acknowledged at the time of that statement that the date was not set in stone. In a corresponding roster move, Atlanta has designated outfielder Alex Dickerson for assignment.
The 24-year-old Acuna is one of the game’s most dynamic talents and effectively has been since the moment he reached the Majors as a 21-year-old in 2018. Shaking off a rough couple of weeks to begin that original MLB promotion, Acuna went on an absolute tear and finished out the ’18 campaign as the near-unanimous Rookie of the Year winner, claiming 27 of 30 first-place votes (with two going to Juan Soto and one going to Walker Buehler).
Acuna slugged 26 homers and swiped 16 bases as a rookie, hitting at a .293/.366/.552 clip along the way. He’s kept that pace in the three seasons since that time, and will come off the injured list looking to build on a .281/.376/.549 career batting line and add to his already impressive total of 105 big league home runs (to say nothing of 78 doubles, seven triples and 78 steals).
While some fans may worry that Acuna is being rushed back to the big leagues, he certainly hasn’t shown any rust in his limited work with Triple-A Gwinnett so far. It’s only six games and 25 plate appearances, but Acuna is 7-for-19 with a double, six walks and three stolen bases (in three tries), which certainly paints the picture of someone whose major knee injury is firmly behind him. And, given that the Braves’ outfield is producing — or rather, failing to produce — at an alarming level, Atlanta brass has opted to proactively make a move to inject some life into the offense.
Marcell Ozuna has gotten out to a nice start in left field, hitting .257/.291/.486 with four homers and five doubles on the year. It’s a bit light in the OBP department, but the power production has generally offset Ozuna’s lack of walks. The rest of the Atlanta outfield, however, has been nothing short of a disaster. Adam Duvall is hitting .197/.250/.258 in 72 plate appearances. Eddie Rosario batted .068/.163/.091 in 49 plate appearances before undergoing an eye procedure that’ll sideline him for up to 12 weeks. Guillermo Heredia is hitting .158/.273/.368 in 22 plate appearances. The Braves have gotten some production in small samples from infielder-turned-utilityman Orlando Arcia and former prospect Travis Demeritte, but it’s clear that the current group wasn’t sufficient for a team with designs on defending a World Series championship.
Dickerson, at whose expense Acuna is returning, was also a notable culprit when it comes to the Braves’ general lack of offense. Signed late in spring to a one-year deal, he’s been used primarily as a designated hitter against right-handed pitching but has gone just 4-for-33 with one extra-base hit (a homer) while punching out in a quarter of his 36 plate appearances.
The 31-year-old Dickerson has generally been a productive hitter in his big league career when healthy, though that health caveat has loomed large. Dickerson was out for the entirety of the 2017-18 seasons thanks to Tommy John surgery and back surgery, and he’s spent considerable time on the injured list even during his active seasons. Dating back to the 2019 campaign, he’s been sent to the injured list with wrist, shoulder, oblique, hamstring and back injuries.
Dickerson was a revelation for the 2019-20 Giants after going from San Diego to San Francisco in exchange for minor league reliever Franklin Van Gurp. In 341 plate appearances with the Giants over those two seasons, he raked at a .294/.361/.552 clip, mashing 16 home runs, 23 doubles and four triples while walking at a solid 8.5% clip and striking out in 19.1% of his plate appearances (a good bit south of the league average). Dickerson’s 2021 season, however, included a trio of IL stints due to a shoulder strain, a back strain and a hamstring strain. He posted a diminished .233/.304/.420 slash last season and has yet to right the ship so far in 2022.
The Braves will have a week to trade Dickerson, place him on outright waivers or release him. Given his track record and an affordable $1MM salary on his 2022 contract, it’s possible another club will take a look. It’s equally, if not more plausible, however, that teams will simply wait for Dickerson to clear waivers and hope to sign him as a free agent. Because he has more than five years of MLB service time, Dickerson can reject an assignment to the minors upon clearing waivers and still retain his salary.
Dickerson was an utter failure.
Utter failure is a rough moniker
Utter failure seems like a cow problem.
Bovine flatulence is chronic.
There is science to suggest Bovine Flatulence is contributing to global warming.
However more statistical data is needed to make a strong correlation before any judgment can be made either way
Methane only stays in the atmosphere 12 years. It doesn’t build up like CO2. Basically, this year’s steak and milk production merely replaces that of 2010. I don’t see an issue.
The more you know
“Rainbow emoji”
Albert Pujols on the Angels was an utter failure. 4-33 PA is a rough stretch, nothing more.
In that rough stretch? He was DFA’d at that time. Dickerson’s time with the Braves is up. He did nothing for the Braves= failure
Pujols has one excellent year, one year half lost to injury, 3 very good years, one terrible year (when he still somehow racked up 100 RBIs), and 3+ years when he still maintained OK (despite below-average) value with his bat with the Angels.
Irregardless of how much he was overpaid, he was far from an utter failure with them.
He racked up 100 RBI because he hit behind on base machine Mike Trout, not due to any special skill on Albert’s part.
Had a league average hitter taken those AB’s he’d have more than 100.
Albert had a skill by putting the ball in play.
Utterly ridiculous
Had to be done. Might be rushing RAJ back but AA is doing anything possible before this season gets away from the Braves.
Fred McGriff: Congrats, man. It’s awesome for Braves Nation & baseball in general to have Acuna back. Locastro recovered well from his ACL blowout, so Acuna won’t miss a step, hopefully (plus Acuna is much, much younger). And, Braves won last year without Acuna – that’s got to be exciting to think about what they will be able to accomplish this year with him.
Thanks Clipper. I see the Yankees are doing well. Maybes a Braves/Yankees WS matchup this year?
That would be cool, man. Reminiscent of the 90’s, although I don’t know the Yankees have the hitting to match up, honestly.
Aww get a room you two!
And next time you’re in town be sure to attend a Thursday home game at loanDepot park for Marlins Senior Citizen Night! Gentlemen of your generation love it!
-MFO
As someone who had eyes on him most nights, why was he an utter failure? Small sample of 36 PA and his expected stats way outdo his actual results. Is he a victim of the shift or something? With Rosario out, seems like there could still have been a role as a lefty bench bat for him. I guess with the extra pitcher allowed now through May 30 and short benching it, you need more versatile guys on the bench. But looking at a lot of the metrics, he’s doing things better than the average major leaguer. Seems more bad luck than bad process.
Granted, he had some bad luck, yes, but I based my original comment on pure facts. We had 36 PA’s/33 AB’s to determine whether he would stay or go. He failed to secure a spot on the roster due to this numbers. If my original comment were false, he would NOT have been DFA’d.
Yeah, just wondering if there is any reason to believe the actual results are more real than the expected ones for a team who might be interested in him. If the results regress to what the metrics indicate he should be, he could be a fine pickup for someone, but if you can qualify why he underperforms the expected stats (too slow, shiftable etc.) and will continue to do so it makes sense that he’s the one out the door.
He hit at ’em balls, and lots of them. He did have pop off of the bat, just found too much leather.
So much wrong with everything in this whole thread ..the blind leading the blind here
Let’s go Braves!
Nice!!! Now they will be chasing the Mets until the all star break and then after that the Mets will fold up again and miss the playoffs
Sounds like you’re talking about the Yankees lol
Oh, I didn’t know Acuña was an ace pitcher lol. They’ll need more than just Acuña to be able to compete this year.
Right? Morton is done. Soroka has to prove he can get and stay healthy AND return to form. Absent those two, I don’t see much here.
Morton is done? He is a notorious slow starter. He did this last year. But yeah, go ahead and judge his season based on 4 starts. Is cole, berrios, and Wheeler done to? Lol
Luckily they have a lot more than just Acuna.
I knew it. This offense is stagnant and Ronald forced his way back with his play.
If they are worried DH him tonight but that bat needs to be at the top pushing Albies to run producing situations. Bout Damn Time!!!
Good for baseball!
I’m glad to see Acuna back but I hope he’s not being rushed. Nine and a half months is a very quick turnaround from ACL surgery
Did you see the clips of him playing in AAA?
What does that have to do with an expedited recovery time? I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see Acuna back and immediately play at an elite level. The concern is about him possibly getting injured again
I think Stroman was back after his ACL surgery after 8 months. It depends where they take the ligament from that impacts the overall timelines
It’s a totally different situation with pitchers and position players just like in the rare occurrence when position players get TJS. Acuna is also a lot more aggressive than the average player so that’s an added factor
I agree but once you’re healed you’re healed.
I can’t imagine the braves would rush him back
Yup, I find way too many people worried about the wrong things. It’s why Germany is increasing its coal %, instead of relying on nuclear. Good long-term solutions are not always the same as good short-term solutions.
Dustyslambchops23
I agree but once you’re healed you’re healed.
======================================
Is that a medical opinion or a personal opinion? I’ve had things go wrong that definitely needed me to ease in, rather than go full out. In fact, most of the physical issues I had growing up were because I insisted on playing when I should’ve been easing into it.
@Joebrady I’m guessing you didn’t have the doctors, trainers, therapists, etc handling your surgery, therapy and recovery that Acuna has. Are you really comparing you getting back to your little league games to Acuna? I’ll take the opinion of professionals trained to handle these situations at the highest level over your t-ball experience, sorry.
hey jb,
You sort of confirmed my comment in your last sentence, you were hurt because you insisted on playing and didn’t ease back in. You didn’t have a team of doctors and medical staffs checking up on you. Acuna didn’t force himself back in to the lineup, he was cleared. He was already playing in the minors, there’s no real difference in chances of being hurt playing in the minors vs majors, hence the if you’re healed you’re healed comment
I agree with Dusty. Prime example is Tim Locastro, who had ACL reconstruction from a ligament tear; he had surgery in late July, 2021.. He was already training & entered ST at full speed. That’s only 8 months and he recovered fully. I don’t think it’s pushing Acuna, imho. Seems about par for the course & Acuna is a superb athlete & much younger at 24.
I guess that pathetic showing last night was the final straw. Ron needed to be up days ago.
Great for baseball. Welcome back
Franklin Van Gurp !
I’d love to be an utterly failed major league play at a million a year. That would be a life success.
LOL! Right?!?! We should all suffer in such a way!
He had an OPS plus over 100 at least the last 2 seasons. I wouldn’t call him an utter failure based on less then a month of crappy play.
Dickerson has always dealt with back issues. When he’s healthy he’s great. His 2020 numbers were outstanding. Wish the Giants had traded him after that, I knew he couldn’t sustain that production. His 2021 proved that.
Nevertheless, I wish him well and hope he picks up with some team on a minor league deal to try and recapture that 2020 magic, he’s a good guy.
Due to the expedited return time I feel like the risk for reinjury will be in the back of everyone’s minds all season, but the guy can roll out of bed and hit 3 dingers so it’s good for baseball to have him back. I hope he stays on the field for the sake of baseball (and my fantasy team). Should be an exciting showdown with the Mets next week. Welcome back, Ronald.
For anyone who thinks players don’t need spring training to get their timing and other hitting mechanics down just look at those (and really hundreds of other players) stat lines. Hitters are still in spring training mode. Starting pitchers are still in spring training mode (we are just barely starting to see starters go five or even six innings). Those six weeks are more important than probably anyone realized and we are seeing the reality of that play out in meaningful games
Wait a second!
RSox, are you saying that players might be getting adjusted to pitching at the beginning of the season across the league? Are you saying BAs are down YTD? HRs are down?? Why?
Mj and Bravesloser look here => RSox, are you saying we should not be brash, and understand this after 33 ABs? We shouldnt call players utter failures?
Wow, bold guy you are. Using common sense – thats rough.
I think @THE downvoter may be compensating for his own “small sample size”.
The big question is which team lands Dickerson?
Albuquerque Desert Dogs
Cubs or A’s might be a fit, but only after he is a FA.
*WORLD CHAMPIONS
He is going back to the Giants. They need another left handed hitting outfielder with duggar and now Joc getting hurt
THE downvoter, please relax, no need to be so angry and insulting here, it is just a chat and everyboy has the right to express their opinion IMO
Ah.. “the downvoter”… Do yourself a favor and mute that guy. All he does is belittle other people.
I appreciate your desire for our discourse to be more amiable but The Downvote isn’t unusual. He’s a product of these boards. MLBTR message boards are some of the harshest message boards I’ve ever come across.
#ForeverGiant
Already one of the best rookie classes of all time
Had to be done unfortunately and if Dansby and Duvall better get their acts together they could be next. AA isnt too shy about going in a different direction.
It’s too soon to determine if Dickerson was a failure or not. Small sample sizes cloud the picture. It’s more accurate to say that the Braves promoted an MVP candidate and Dickerson was a victim of roster numbers.
Hope Dickerson remains unclaimed. He was terrible but hit into bad luck most of the season (like pretty much the Braves entire April).
Regardless, this team is still terrible and I don’t know if Acuna changes it. No one is hitting with men on including Olson and Riley. Hopefully, Duvall is next to be DFA’d.
I won’t worry in April and May. With the extra wild cards etc. this line up is too good with too many players with proven track history not to get on line at some point.
If you watch the games a lot of announcers talking about the shorten spring training really effective some players. Also the baseball is not the same ball from last year and stored differently so the balls are jumping off bats like below. Atlanta been the victim of a lot of weak / blop hits
The only true statement you made was the last one. You have to watch the games and try not to laugh (or cry) about how things have gone for the Braves offense.
However, I’m not buying the other reasons because they are excuses. Every team had a shortened spring training. Every team is playing with the same baseball. Frankly, I still believe the core is who they are and what they are is what we see right now and in the first half of last season. It is no coincidence this season has started on same path as last year.
Dickinson got some bad luck with a lot of balls hit hard that were caught with great or good plays.
I figured through the Braves figured that Acuna will probably be best served to be the designated hitter with Travis Demerritte in right field for a bit.
Dickinson wasn’t a long term for Atlanta so seeing what Demerritte can be for a few weeks not a bad idea which would put Dickinson as a bench bat and a bench bat not really needed as much with a designated hitter like last year when pitchers batted.
Giants fans love Dickerson. Bring him back to SF!!
LET’S GOOOOOOOO!
When you add up Dickerson’s numbers from his 3 years in San Francisco, they are ridiculously good. Last year he had a 97 wRC+, which is by no means bad. The year before he had a 151 wRC+ and was similarly great in 2019.
Alex Dickerson and Mike Yastrzemski were Farhan Zaidi’s first 2 successful outfield discoveries in 2019. Farhan also found Connor Joe in 2019, but he was a Rule 5 pick who wasn’t ready.
I personally think Farhan would welcome Dick back for 2 week trial. Platoon him with Ruf. If Dick doesn’t perform then DFA him, it’s a no lose proposition.
I think Giants fans would be very happy to see him back in a Giants uniform.
There’s an awful lot of arguing on this story!
Braves still might need a another OF , either bring up one or shop around..
Are Braves fans annoyed with Acuna for pushing Freeman out of town?
I think Freeman pushed himself out of town. He deserved the money he got – he was underpaid relative to his value throughout the 8 years of the extension. Can’t blame him for leaving. He is now on a team that will try to buy another ring for him. He knows the Braves are not that team.
Since Acuna didn’t push Freeman out of town, no we aren’t. What a stupid comment.
Well, the fun begins.
If Acuna is going to get super hot shortly, I do hope it’s in that series against the Mets.
Go Marlins!
We’re playing for 3rd place at this point – good for the Braves and Mets!
Anyone assessing a player’s ability after 33 AB’s just hasn’t got a clue about playing baseball, or has probably never played the game at all at any decent level. You only have to look all around baseball to see a significant amount of players with less than .200 average, and they are every day players. The other point is that Dickerson wasn’t starting every day, he had a lot of bad luck with some hard hit balls. You need to be playing day in and day out to assess a player’s ability, not a 1 AB here and there, or a few days together ie. 3 or 4 days. We are nearly into May, some guys are just starting to get their timing & mechanics going and they are every day players.
Dickerson back to the Padres. AJ Preller loves middling players. In fact, to sweeten the pot, Alex should go out on a dirt bike and crash it. That’ll make AJ all the more desperate to sign him to a four-year guaranteed deal with player options.
I don’t think they rushed Ronald back. My 16 year old son tore his ACL in football in October of 2021, and will be fully cleared for camp in July. His tear involved no meniscus damage, which I believe was the same for RAJ. My son has actually been participating in a lot of football workouts at school which his surgeon approved for the last couple of months. I gotta think that a world class athlete playing a non-contact sport can come back at a similar rate as a 16 goofball that plays DT in football.
Great comparison!
Some people are really dumb.
“I gotta think that a world class athlete playing a non-contact sport can come back at a similar rate as a 16 goofball that plays DT in football.”
This is gold