Superstar of Phillies Archrival Has Injury Recovery Timeline Pushed Back

The Philadelphia Phillies rival could be without their best player for a couple of more weeks than expected.

May 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) circles the bases on a three-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have dealt with their fair share of injuries over the past few years, but the Atlanta Braves have been crushed with multiple star players going down.

Despite the rivalry between the Phillies and Braves, no one ever wants to see someone like Ronald Acuna Jr. get put on the shelf with another knee injury like he did in 2024.

When Acuna is on the field, baseball is in a much better place than without him on the diamond.

He's among the games' elite talents and is a joy to watch, helping Atlanta be one of the top teams in baseball when he's on the field.

Acuna will return in 2025, and it should be relatively early in the campaign. However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, his recovery timeline will be pushed back compared to his first ACL injury.

Philadelphia's rival wants to be cautious this time around with Acuna, allowing him to come back at a slower pace than he did after suffering a torn ACL in 2021.

"The outlook for Acuña, at least at this point, is similar to [Spencer] Strider's. When Acuña underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee in 2021, he returned in a little over nine months. The same timeline in his recovery from a torn ACL in his left knee would put him on target to start playing again in mid-March. But the Braves want to go at a slower pace this time, knowing Acuña perhaps came back too quickly in '22."

Rosenthal added that an additional six weeks could be in play, allowing the NL MVP Award winner to return at the end of April.

Acuna would likely have to get a few at-bats in the minors before heading to the Braves, but an April or May return at the big league level could be best for Atlanta and the star.