Ronald Acuña Jr. returns to Braves ahead of Monday’s matchup at Mets

Outfielder reinstated after six games at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. adjusts his helmet while standing on third base against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)

By Chad Bishop

1 hour ago

Ronald Acuña Jr. declared himself “ready to go” on Saturday. The Braves agreed, reinstating the star outfielder off the injured list Monday ahead of a three-game series against the Mets in New York.

Acuña played six games with Triple-A Gwinnett, both taking his position in right field and serving as a designated hitter. He went 5-for-19 with four walks, four strikeouts, an RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored.

More importantly than the statistics, Acuña wanted to make sure his timing with his swing was comfortable before facing MLB pitching. He will get to do that at Citi Field after missing 37 games with a right hamstring injury.

“My timing is better than before,” he said Saturday. “I was working hard in Florida with (coaches) Carlos Méndez and Einar Diaz. So we’re working a lot. We got time there, so I’m feeling much better, way better than before.”

The addition of Acuña to the roster Monday meant the subtraction of outfielder Brewer Hicklen, who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after appearing in eight games and going 7-for-19 from the plate with four doubles, four walks and three RBIs.