NORTH PORT, Fla. — Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. revealed Friday that he is feeling between “90-95%” recovered from his knee surgery.
Acuña suffered a season-ending injury May 26 when he tore his left ACL during a stolen base attempt. The Braves star says he will be ready when the team calls him back to the lineup.
“The priority is I’m feeling great. That’s the most important thing. One day when they tell me, you need to play that day, I’ll be there,” Acuña said.
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Acuña knows what it’s like to recovery from ACL surgery. He tore his right ACL in 2021 and missed the Braves World Series championship run. But he came back in 2022 and produced a National League MVP-winning season in 2023.
The outfielder said his left knee feels more stable compared to the last surgery. Channel 2′s Alison Mastrangelo asked Acuña if his approach to base running would be different this season.
“Yeah, I need to take it easy a little bit when I get on base,” he replied.
However, the outfielder admitted it will be hard to go against his base-running instincts.
“It’s hard when I get on base because, for my mind, I just want to go. I want to go to second. I want to go to third. That’s what I do.”
It wasn’t all business for the Braves star Friday. Acuña used the interview as an opportunity to practice his language skills, as he spoke mainly to reporters in English. The Braves interpreter Franco Garcia stood by just in case.
“Franco, he lost the job,” Acuña joked. “No, no. I love Franco.”
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