The Braves have continued to climb the rankings this season. As of June 29, the franchise boasts third position. But there’s even better news for fans: Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s decision to join the 2025 season Home Run Derby just months after his most recent setback.
This isn’t Acuña’s first Derby or comeback. But with the Home Run Derby set to be held at Truist, the optics are fantastic – a home game and a chance to reassert dominance on a national scale. Still, fans and analysts question whether a high-stakes event like the Home Run Derby is worth it, as Acuña risks re-injury and performance fatigue.
Now, Ronald Acuña Jr. has addressed these concerns while talking to Ken Rosenthal. “What is the difference,” Rosenthal asked Acuña “between coming off surgery this time versus the last time?” Acuña quickly stated, via translator Garcia, “I think we just took a little bit more time, and we just did everything that we had to do. We let the process play out as it was intended to play out, and I think we’re seeing the benefits of that.”
Spencer Schwellenbach delivered a dominant 12 strikeouts on the mound tonight to help propel the Braves to a victory.
More from teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. with our @Ken_Rosenthal on tonight’s win and staying healthy. pic.twitter.com/EbYunXdfu7
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 29, 2025
Well, history hasn’t favored hasty returns for Acuña.
His last Derby participation was in 2022, just one year after a devastating ACL tear in July 2021. He missed the remainder of that season, and the Braves’ playoff performance dipped. While 2023 saw Acuña return briefly to MVP status – 41 HRs, 73 SBs, .337 AVG, and a 40–70 season – 2024 brought another setback. He was injured again on May 26, 2024, while taking a lead off second base. That caused him to miss the rest of the previous season’s campaign.
Acuña is not just another outfielder returning from injury. He sells tickets, forces opposing pitchers to attack early, and that historic 2023 season in particular has made him the heart of the franchise.
While he’s managed to endure long stretches previously from his lineup abilities, his 2025 participation cannot be anything less than 100% health.
With the Derby, his sprint speed (28.3 currently) could drop, or it could put his hard-hit rate (56.3 currently) back down into the league-average range, 36%. Anything below .900 OPS should be a point of concern – Acuña’s OPS declining is almost a run’s worth of production drop for Atlanta. He might need load management, and be listed at 110–120 games again this year, detrimental to further MVP ambitions.
But so far, his comeback debut this May has been progressing well…
Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return to Atlanta
Since returning on May 23, Acuña has achieved a good .361/.479/.630 with 9 HRs and 1.110 OPS. His presence has pushed runs per game up by 1.3. These aren’t soft numbers, and the season isn’t even halfway through.
The Braves had been underperforming earlier this season without him.
With a 27–26 record through May 25, they were fourth in the NL East. The team batting average hovered at .241 (19th in MLB). Slugging was only .384 (compared to 2023’s .443), with only 25 SBs (a mere 62% success rate).
Acuña’s surge has coincided with the Braves going 16–9, jumping from hovering around .500.
That’s precisely why the Home Run Derby carries weight. It’s a high-repetition, high-effort event that puts torque on the lower body and core, particularly concerning for Acuña, given he just recovered from his leg injury. Post-Derby flare-ups could drop the Braves into a Wild Card fight, especially in a tight NL East, and that’s Phillies and Mets territory.
So, the wise thing to do here is to exercise caution. Maybe, not stress a lot for the game and focus on steady recovery… What do you think?
The post Ronald Acuña Jr. Confronts Comeback Doubts After Derby Return Sparks Injury Fears appeared first on EssentiallySports.
