Ronald Acuna Jr. sends 3-word message to Fernando Tatis Jr.'s dad after MLB record holder's LIDOM Manager of the Year achievement 

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. congratulated Fernando Tatis Jr.’s father on his achievement in the Dominican Professional Baseball League. On Wednesday, Acuna Jr. shared a story celebrating Fernando Tatis Sr. winning the Manager of the Year award in the league.

"Felicidades mi patrón (Congratulations my boss) ," Acuna wrote.

Ronald Acuna Jr.'s story (Source: Instagram/@ronaldacunajr13)

Tatis Sr. won the 2024 Manager of the Year award in LIDOM (Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana) after a solid season managing the Estrellas Orientales.

The image in Acuna's story featured Tatis wearing the Orientales' uniform. LIDOM's official Instagram account also celebrated the achievement, appreciating Fernando Tatis Sr. with a caption that read (translated from Spanish):

“He led his troops on a brilliant path. MANAGER OF THE YEAR Fernando Tatis of the @estrellasbc”

This marks the first time Fernando Tatis Sr. has won the LIDOM Manager of the Year award. Under his leadership, the Estrellas Orientales finished the 2024 LIDOM regular season with a 30-20 record.

In Major League Baseball, Tatis Sr. played as a third baseman for 11 years, for the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos and New York Mets.

Tatis Sr. holds an MLB record for the most RBIs in an inning, as he smashed two grand slams in a single inning while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in April 1999.

MLB insider opens up about Ronald Acuna Jr.’s return and its impact on Braves offseason

The Atlanta Braves have not made any major signings this offseason to strengthen their roster. The team has lost several players to free agency but despite that has been slow to make impactful moves.

An MLB insider speculated that one reason for this inactivity could be Acuna's anticipated injury recovery timeline for the 2025 season. The 27-year-old is not expected to return in time for Opening Day and might even miss one or two months of the upcoming season.

Discussing the potential impact on the Braves' offseason strategy, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote in a recent article:

“A return by Acuña say, at the end of April, would give him six additional weeks to recover. The Braves clearly would need another outfielder in the interim, but that player likely would be reduced to a backup role once Acuña was activated. Few players at this stage of the offseason are jumping at such roles.”

Rosenthal suggested that any outfielder the Braves sign now would likely be shifted to a supporting role once Ronald Acuna Jr. is fully healthy.