Acuña has MRI on knee; expected to be ready for Opening Day

NORTH PORT, Fla. — An MRI exam gave the Braves confidence Ronald Acuña Jr. will be ready for the start of the regular season. But the team won’t have a definitive timeline until the reigning National League MVP travels to California to be evaluated by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday.

Acuña underwent the MRI after informing the Braves his right knee was sore on Friday. The images showed irritation around his right meniscus. ElAttrache was encouraged by what he saw from the imaging, but just to be safe, he suggested evaluating the Braves outfielder at his Los Angeles-area office.

NORTH PORT, Fla. — An MRI exam gave the Braves confidence Ronald Acuña Jr. will be ready for the start of the regular season. But the team won’t have a definitive timeline until the reigning National League MVP travels to California to be evaluated by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday.

Acuña underwent the MRI after informing the Braves his right knee was sore on Friday. The images showed irritation around his right meniscus. ElAttrache was encouraged by what he saw from the imaging, but just to be safe, he suggested evaluating the Braves outfielder at his Los Angeles-area office.

ElAttrache repaired this same knee after Acuña tore his right ACL two days before the 2021 All-Star break.

Acuña won his first National League MVP Award in 2023 after becoming the first player to hit 40-plus homers and steal at least 70 bases in one season. His historic season proved even more satisfying given the knee injury he had suffered two seasons earlier.