The Atlanta Braves have been a dominant regular season team in recent seasons, and in 2026 it’s absolutely no different, with the team currently sitting in first place in the National League East on the back of a 49-33 record.
Atlanta are cruising into the All-Star break with some of their biggest stars dominating, but unfortunately, just like other teams in Major League Baseball, they’ve not been able to avoid the injury big for much of 2026. One of the biggest absence’s for the Braves thus far in 2026 has been superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., and if the team are to make a run this season, he’ll need to be at 100% down the stretch, so what’s the latest on the Braves multi-time All-Star?
Ronald Acuna Jr. not Expected Back Anytime Soon
GettyRonald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves.
Back on June 9th, Acuna suffered a hamstring injury as he attempted to beat out a ground ball, and as a result, he was placed on the 10-day Injured List, with the team clearly being very patient and cautious with his recovery. As of right now, there’s been no signs that Acuna would be on the way back anytime soon, and now, Manager Walt Weiss has revealed an unfortunate timeline, noting that it’s a ‘long-shot’ for the star outfielder to return before the All-Star break, with the teams final game before then being on July 12th.
Given that the Braves are still cruising with a very comfortable 3.5 game lead over the next best team in the NL East, they are able to use this time to give Acuna more and more chances to recover, and if holding him out longer allows him to have a better chance at finishing the season healthy, it’s a smart move from the organization.
Ronald Acuna Jr. has Been Dominant Again in Atlanta
Despite this being Acuna’s second stint on the Injured List this year after a few injured-riddled campaigns, he’s once again been highly impactful for the Braves, posting 7 home runs and 22 RBI on the year alongside a .793 OPS. Sure, he’s not the 40 home run, 70 steals type of player that he once was, but given the way the injuries have effected him, he’s adjusted his game to remain a key piece of this Braves team as they look to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2021.
Behind Acuna Jr. and the rest of this star lineup, the Braves rank 13th in baseball in runs scored, and with a star rotation posting a team ERA of 3.41, they rank third in the league, with the team once again being seen as World Series contenders.
Ultimately though, to get there they will need Acuna Jr. at full strength, and while it’s a little worrisome that a 10-day IL stint turned into what will be over a month out of action, the team are simply being very cautious after playing in more than 100 games just twice since 2020, so while he will be out for a while more, the hope is that he can get back to 100% soon.
Atlanta Braves Give Unfortunate Timeline on Ronald Acuna Jr.’s Return