Acuña's knee to be examined after MRI showed meniscus irritation
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will have his right knee examined Monday in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache after an MRI revealed meniscus irritation, the team announced Saturday, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic.
Acuña, who was scratched from the lineup Friday, is still expected to be ready for Opening Day barring any new medical information, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
"Right now we're trying to be optimistic," Braves manager Brian Snitker said, according to O'Brien. "Maybe (he's out for) just a couple of weeks or whatever, just to calm everything down. But honestly, I don't know until we get what the doctor out there says."
ElAttrache is the same doctor who performed surgery on the reigning NL MVP's torn ACL in July 2021.
Acuña became the first player in MLB history to reach the 40-50, 40-60, and 40-70 clubs during an unprecedented 2023 season. The 26-year-old four-time All-Star finished the year with 41 homers and 73 stolen bases to help the Braves win 104 games en route to a sixth straight division title.