Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected to be ready for Opening Day, the Atlanta Braves said, after the 2023 NL MVP was diagnosed with irritation in the meniscus of his right knee.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Injury: Braves outfielder expected to be ready for opening  day with knee Injury - Battery Power

According to the Braves, Acuña Jr. saw Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday night and the outfielder will “gradually increase baseball activities” ahead of their season opener March 28 against the host Philadelphia Phillies.

Acuña Jr. sustained the injury while in a rundown during Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. He did remain in the game through the fifth inning and took part in pregame batting practice on Friday. After telling the team he could play, he did note he was experiencing soreness and was scratched from the lineup that night and underwent an MRI.

Braves OF Ronald Acuña Jr. expected to be ready for Opening Day as he deals  with meniscus irritation - BVM Sports

The knee that is currently bothering Acuña Jr. is the same one in which he suffered a torn ACL in 2021. ElAttrache was the doctor who performed the surgery three years ago. Acuña Jr. missed the second half of that season and did not return to the Braves’ lineup until late April 2022.

Braves expect Ronald Acuna Jr. to be ready for Opening Day - ESPN

Acuña Jr., 26, played 159 games for the Braves last season and became the first 40-70 player — 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases — in MLB history, which ended with him being voted unanimous NL MVP. He’s the consensus No. 1-ranked player in 2024 fantasy baseball drafts.