Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is making his season debut on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs and will hit leadoff and play right field against Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly. The Braves activated Acuna from the injured list early, as the team was originally targeting a May 6 return after he tore his ACL last July. The 24-year-old superstar went 7-for-19 with a double, an RBI, four runs scored, three stolen bases and six walks in six rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett and appears to be back to 100%. The fact that he was stealing bags on his rehab assignment is very encouraging, and fantasy managers everywhere should be rejoicing that they can put Acuna in their starting lineups on Thursday.

The Atlanta Braves reinstated outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday morning. The 24-year-old spent the past week on a rehab assignment at Triple-A and certainly showed that he was back up to speed. Over six games at Triple-A, he slashed .368/.520/.421. Acuna is one of the most valuable players in all of fantasy. Last year, he racked up 24 home runs, 17 stolen bases, 52 RBI and 72 runs over just 82 games. While the team has yet to announce the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs, we fully expect Acuna to be in the leadoff spot for the game.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is 5-for-14 with a double and three stolen bases in five rehab games so far with Triple-A Gwinnett. He has served as the designated hitter in two of those games and played right field in three of the others. Acuna hasn't played more than six innings defensively yet, but his body will be tested as he plays deeper into games once Gwinnett resumes its schedule on Tuesday. Manager Brian Snitker said Acuna's projected return date of May 6 isn't etched into stone, so there's a possibility that he returns by May 2 for the start of a four-game series against the first-place New York Mets. Acuna is expected to play right field and hit leadoff, with Marcell Ozuna continuing to serve as the primary DH.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) went 2-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and three walks for Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. The 24-year-old superstar had two hits, a walk and his second stolen base on Friday and is 5-for-12 on his rehab assignment for Gwinnett so far. "Looking at some of the video, I think he might have been a little more active than you wanted to see," Braves manager Snitker said. "[But these are] good indicators that he's right where he needs to be." The two-time All-Star was playing at an MVP-type level before tearing his ACL last July 10, hitting .283 with 24 home runs and a .990 OPS in 82 games. Acuna and the Braves are targeting a May 6 season debut, and fantasy managers can't get him back soon enough.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is scheduled to play seven innings for Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday night. This will be Acuna's third rehab game as he nears a return to the big leagues after tearing his ACL on July 10, 2021. The Braves and Acuna are targeting May 6 as his return date to MLB, although there's a chance he could be back sooner or later than that date depending on how his knee responds and what his doctors recommend. A return to the lineup will be a big boost for the Braves and fantasy managers who drafted Acuna earlier this spring.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) went 0-for-3 with a walk, stolen base and run scored as the designated hitter in his second rehab game with Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday. Acuna played the entire game after going 1-for-3 with a double in five innings on Tuesday. The 24-year-old is rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered last July, but the fact that he's running in games is a great sign. The Braves won't rush the five-category superstar back, and they are targeting a return for Acuna in early May. Acuna certainly could return before early May, but fantasy managers shouldn't get their hopes up. When he's back, Acuna is a no-doubt, must-start fantasy asset, and he's expected to return to the leadoff role immediately.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) went 1-for-3 with a double in his first rehab game with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. Acuna played five innings in right field and will serve as the designated hitter in the second game of the series on Wednesday. The superstar outfielder had previously been playing in simulated games in Florida while rehabbing from a torn ACL last summer. He will continue to ramp up his activity with an eye on making his season debut in early May, barring any setbacks. Acuna is expected to lead off and play right field immediately upon his return to the lineup, and he'll be a must-start for fantasy managers as a five-category contributor. He hit .283 with a .990 OPS and 24 home runs before his knee injury last July.

The Atlanta Braves are tentatively targeting a return for outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) on May 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He'll start a rehab assignment on Tuesday night with Triple-A Gwinnett. Tuesday's game for Acuna will be two days shy of nine months since he tore his ACL last season. "We're winding down to where we can get him back. It's gonna be some kind of boost for this club when he gets back in the top of that order," manager Brian Snitker said. Baseball's most dynamic hitter will immediately return to the leadoff spot for the Braves when he makes his season debut, despite the fact that second baseman Ozzie Albies leads all MLB leadoff hitters with four home runs. Acuna's combination of speed, big power, a high average and a solid on-base percentage makes him an elite fantasy asset when he's healthy.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. The Braves outfielder started the season on the injured list as he continues to recover from ACL surgery that forced him to miss the end of the 2021 season. He slashed .283/.394/.596 with 24 homers, 52 RBI, 74 runs, and 17 stolen bases over 82 games in 2021. Acuna will be in several rehab appearances before returning to the big leagues and is on target for a late-April return.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is targeting a return to the big-league club with a loose date set at May 6. He can start a rehab assignment as soon as Tuesday where he will play about half of the game in the outfield before slowly integrating himself deeper into games. It's unlikely that once he joins the Braves he'll play everyday right out of the gate, but the added DH will certainly help him get more at-bats as the club will play it slow with their home-grown superstar. Acuna is recovering from an ACL tear that he suffered prior to the 2021 All-Star Game after he was setting himself up for a potential MVP run. The injury could impact his stolen base total this season, but expect his batting metrics to return to normalcy upon his return.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) has begun to play in extended spring training games at North Point, Florida. Manager Brian Snitker told reporters that Acuna could start on a rehab assignment as early as next week. Acuna has been sidelined since tearing his ACL during the 2021 season, although it appears that fantasy gamers won't be without him for much longer. His return to action will cut into Eddie Perez and Adam Duvall's playing time in the outfield.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) could begin a rehab assignment as early as next week. The 24-year-old is playing simulated games, and the team wants to see how he looks over the weekend. He is making good progress and could return as the team's primary designated hitter. The Braves star outfielder slashed .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs, 52 RBI, 72 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 82 games last year before his season-ending knee injury. Acuna is close to returning to action, and fantasy managers could have him in their lineups by late-April. Stay tuned.

The Atlanta Braves placed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) on the 10-day injured list on Monday. Acuna is recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee and will not be ready for the start of the regular season. The 24-year-old superstar is making good progress, though, and the Braves are hoping to ease him into designated hitter duties in late April. If he was fully healthy entering this season, Acuna would've likely been the No. 1 overall pick in fantasy drafts. He was hitting .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs, 52 RBI, 72 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 82 games last year before his season-ending knee injury. Acuna will still be an early round pick despite the fact that he'll miss at least the first couple of the weeks in 2022.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is targeting a return in the first week of May, and he will initially be used as both an outfielder and designated hitter to give him time to ease back into full-time duties. The 24-year-old is recovering from a torn right ACL he suffered on July 10 of last year. "He's doing everything. He's right where he needs to be at this point in the rehab. Everybody feels really good about where he is at," manager Brian Snitker said. The two-time All-Star will miss the first month of the regular season, but the five-category fantasy performer is still ranked No. 12 overall by RotoBaller. That's just how good Acuna is.

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said on Wednesday that the team's training and medical staff now think outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) could be playing the outfield in early May instead of late May. The Braves are targeting a late-April return for Acuna to begin serving as the designated hitter, but he won't be playing in any spring games after having surgery to fix a torn ACL eight months ago. Fantasy managers won't have the five-category contributor until late in the season's first month, but he's still ranked as the No. 13 overall fantasy player by RotoBaller. The 24-year-old phenom made his second All-Star team in 2021 by hitting .283/.394/.596 with a .990 OPS, 24 home runs, 52 RBI, 72 runs and 17 stolen bases despite playing in only 82 games.

According to Jim Bowden, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) could see action as early as April 21. General manager Alex Anthopoulos stated that the plan is to have Acuna begin serving as the designated hitter as early as April 21 and then transition to the outfield, beginning May 21. This is great news for fantasy managers, as he will be able to slot into their lineups a full month earlier than originally expected. Acuna missed significant time in 2021 with an ACL tear but is still a top-10 selection based on ADP for 2022, and rightfully so, as he posted a .394 on-base percentage with 24 home runs across just 297 at-bats before the injury a season ago.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is hopeful to make his season debut in May. The superstar outfielder underwent surgery in last July to repair a torn ACL. He was forced to miss the rest of the 2021 season and will sit out the beginning of this season. Possibly, Acuna returns earlier than expected, but the Braves aren't going to rush their franchise outfielder back onto the field. That being said, he'll be a risky early round draft pick in most fantasy formats. He could lose a step or two after tearing his ACL, but is obviously a phenomenal player.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) has taken the next step in his rehab from right knee surgery and has resumed hitting on the field. Acuna had surgery back in July of last year to fix a torn ACL, and he missed the rest of the 2021 season and Atlanta's improbable World Series run. Despite the progress, Acuna is expected to be limited when players report to spring training at the end of February if MLB and the players reach an agreement to end the ongoing lockout. There are still many steps for him to clear, and he could still miss the beginning of the 2022 season, which makes him much more risky as an early first-round selection in fantasy drafts. Speed is a big part of Acuna's game, and it remains to be seen if he'll run as much when he eventually makes his 2022 season debut.

Tuesday, July 13At Coors Field, Denverr-replacement; i-inactiveAmerican LeagueManager — Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay StartersCatcher — Salvador Perez, Kansas City First Baseman — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Second Baseman — Marcus Semien, Toronto Shortstop — Xander Bogaerts, Boston Third Baseman — Rafael Devers, Boston Outfield — Teoscar Hernandez, Toronto Outfield — Aaron Judge, N.Y. Yankees Outfield — Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Designated Hitter — Shohei Ohtani, L.A. Angels ReservesCatchersMike Zunino, Tampa Bay InfieldersMatt Olson, Oakland i-Jose Altuve, Houston Bo Bichette, Toronto Jose Ramirez, Cleveland i-Carlos Correa, Houston Jared Walsh r-Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox r-Whit Merrifield, Kansas City r-Joey Wendle, Tampa Bay Outfieldersi-Mike Trout, L.A. Angels i-Michael Brantley, Houston Joey Gallo, Texas Adolis Garcia, Texas Designated HittersNelson Cruz, Minnesota J.D. Martinez, Boston PitchersStartersShohei Ohtani, L.A. Angels i-Shane Bieber, Cleveland Gerrit Cole, N.Y. Yankees... [More]

Tuesday, July 13At Coors Field, Denverr-replacement; i-inactiveAmerican LeagueManager — Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay StartersCatcher — Salvador Perez, Kansas City First Baseman — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Second Baseman — Marcus Semien, Toronto Shortstop — Xander Bogaerts, Boston Third Baseman — Rafael Devers, Boston Outfield — Teoscar Hernandez, Toronto Outfield — Aaron Judge, N.Y. Yankees Outfield — Mike Trout, L.A. Angels Designated Hitter — Shohei Ohtani, L.A. Angels ReservesCatchersMike Zunino, Tampa Bay InfieldersMatt Olson, Oakland i-Jose Altuve, Houston Bo Bichette, Toronto Jose Ramirez, Cleveland i-Carlos Correa, Houston Jared Walsh r-Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox r-Whit Merrifield, Kansas City r-Joey Wendle, Tampa Bay Outfieldersi-Michael Brantley, Houston Joey Gallo, Texas Adolis Garcia, Texas Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Designated HittersNelson Cruz, Minnesota J.D. Martinez, Boston PitchersStartersi-Shane Bieber, Cleveland Gerrit Cole, N.Y. Yankees Nathan Eovaldi, Boston Kyle... [More]