Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 'cautious' plan with bases receives cold response from Braves GM

Ronald Acuna Jr. isn't expected to be back in the MLB until sometime in May, but when he returns from rehab, he'll have no restrictions. The only ones he'll have will be self-imposed, like his purported plan to cut back on stealing bases.

Acuna tore his ACL last year, and he has now torn both his ACLs in the last four years. His rehab will last about two months longer this time to ensure he's good and healthy, but he plans to take it a little easier this time. He said he'd rather steal 30 and be healthy than steal 70 again and get hurt.

However, Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos isn't buying it. According to ESPN, he's not sure Acuna's plan to be more "cautious" will stick:

"I'll believe it when I see it," Anthopoulos said on Friday.

The GM explained that he didn't mean that negatively:

"He's just such a good base-stealer," Anthopoulos said. "From a medical standpoint, if he's cleared and he's fine, I think he'll find a sweet spot that makes sense for him. But we haven't told him anything specifically. Once he's back, the plan is that he's back with no restrictions."

Acuna stole 70 bases in his last fully healthy season, but he reportedly doesn't want to stress his knees that much, so he might not even attempt that many. However, his teammates and GM don't think he'll be able to hold true to that for very long.

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Ronald Acuna Jr.'s teammate says he won't be able to resist stealing

Ronald Acuna Jr. is one of the most prolific base-stealers in baseball right now. He established the 40-70 (home runs/stolen bases) club in 2023 en route to his first NL MVP award.

Matt Olson doesn't believe Ronald Acuna Jr. (Imagn)

He has said that once he returns, he won't be the same aggressive baserunner he once was, but teammates aren't buying it. Matt Olson said via ESPN:

"I don't think he'll ever give it up. It's the player he is. Yeah, you can choose when you run and stuff, but I bet once he gets back out there, he gets his legs under him, back into playing speed, he's gonna be the same ol' Ronald."

Whether or not he sticks to his plan remains to be seen, but Acuna said:

"I know the type of player I can be. I still don't feel like I've gotten to, like, my prime-prime. The most important thing is health."

Acuna has been ramping up his rehab, but the Braves are intentionally taking it slow with the former MVP to ensure he's fully healthy by the time he gets into the lineup.