Friday’s matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres was a significant one for the returning former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., playing in his first MLB game in just under a calendar year. And if there were any questions as to what level Acuña would be at in his return, he answered them with the very first pitch he saw.
Leading off in his return to the MLB level, Acuña wasted no time in reminding baseball fans exactly who he was, smashing the first pitch of the game from Padres starter Nick Pivetta and depositing it into the left-center field bleachers to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
HE IS BACK.
Ronald Acuña Jr. homers on the first pitch he sees! pic.twitter.com/LZgwO3b8kZ
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2025
It simply doesn’t get much better than that in terms of how to return to the MLB from a torn ACL, an injury that brought an abrupt end to his 2024 season.
Acuña’s return couldn’t have come at a better time for the Braves, who have had a relatively slow start to the season at just 24-25 coming into Friday’s game.
Unfortunately, for as truly special as Acuña, this would be the only highlight of the night offensively for the Braves, who wouldn’t score again for the remainder of the game, falling 2-1 to the Padres on Friday night.
Clearly, the Braves still have a lot they need to work out offensively to get their season on track. But based on his return,Acuña sure seems ready to come in and be a massive contributor right away.
