Braves president reveals where Ronald Acuna Jr. stands in DH plans

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 2024 campaign ended way too early when he injured his knee in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2023 National League MVP sustained a complete ACL tear on his left knee in May 2024.

In a recent interview with Atlanta Braves executive Alex Anthopoulos, the club president quashed the rumors of the outfield star temporarily playing as a designated hitter (DH) upon his return from a long layoff.

"We don't even have to factor in Acuna playing as a designated hitter," Anthopoulos said. (0:02 onwards)

Anthopoulos gave the example of the former MVP getting injured during the 2021 season with the latter taking up some DH duties when he returned. This time, however, the baseball executive cited that it wouldn't be the case as Acuna has been given a longer timetable to ramp up his recovery. He said:

"Even if [Acuna] won't be ready for Opening Day, he would have had [a] longer [recovery period] than the last time. We just don't see the need of making him play as a DH.

"We just want to make sure when Ronald Acuña Jr. is back, that he is going to be elite. If that means an extra few weeks, that would be our game plan. There's no need to complicate the issue."

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Atlanta Braves land All-Star Jurickson Profar

On January 23, 2025, the Atlanta Braves have officially signed 2024 All-Star and Silver Slugger Jurickson Profar on a three-year, $42 million deal.

The Curaçaoan star spent four and a half seasons with the San Diego Padres. In an interview, Profar revealed that the ongoing ownership battle in San Diego was one of the deciding factors in him seeking a move away from SoCal.

Although prolific in all field positions except as a backstop, Profar has been a regular fixture in the Padres' outfield during his stint with the club. He finished the 2024 season with a .280/.380/.459 slash line with an OPS of .839.

The 31-year-old also smashed 24 home runs and 85 RBIs during a productive campaign that saw him get selected as an All-Star and a Silver Slugger Awardee for the first time in his career.