Until recently, it had been 362 days since Ronald Acuña Jr. last participated in a Major League Baseball game, marking a significant absence from the field. Additionally, it had been nearly 600 days since he was considered among the league's elite players. With Acuña's return to the Atlanta Braves on Friday, the first of these numbers has indeed been reset. However, the ongoing question remains: can he reclaim the level of superstardom he once enjoyed?

Acuña's return could not have started better, as he launched the very first pitch he saw back into play, sending it an impressive 467 feet into the bleachers for a solo home run against the San Diego Padres. His continued performance will be critical for the Braves as they seek to climb out of an early 0-7 start. Currently holding a 24-26 record, the team finds itself 5.5 games behind the New York Mets and 8.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East standings. The Braves are in urgent need of Acuña to return to his 2023 form, when he ranked as one of the top players in the league, a season marked by an extraordinary .416 on-base percentage and membership in the exclusive 40-70 club for home runs and stolen bases.

However, the past often serves as a double-edged sword, as Acuña faces the challenge of navigating both history and personal limitations. Despite being only 27 years old, he is already a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, a four-time All-Star, and has accumulated 166 home runs and 196 stolen bases over his first 723 career games. Yet, recent injuries complicate his current trajectory. This marks the second time Acuña has had to recover from a torn ACL, and his rehabilitation from the first injury is largely seen as a factor contributing to the diminished performance prior to his most recent strong season in 2023. Following his comeback in 2022 from a right knee ACL tear, he managed just a .764 OPS with 15 home runs in 119 games, hindered by the lasting effects of his injury. As the 2024 season commences, Acuña's right knee has flared up again, causing concern about how much this could impede his performance. He is reportedly shifting his approach on the base paths to prioritize safety, favoring a full season of play over risking injury for a higher stolen base count. Yet, if his bat performs anything like it did in 2023, he may not need to fully rely on his legs. Acuña's ability to decrease his strikeout rate, while excelling against both fastballs and breaking pitches, showcases his potential to maintain dominance at the plate, a critical asset the Braves hope to capitalize on moving forward.