The Atlanta Braves activated outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. off the 60-day injured list ahead of Monday's game against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
The five-time All-Star missed 38 games due to a left hamstring strain. Acuña was hitting .251/.373/.421 with seven homers and 15 steals over 53 contests before exiting a June 9 game against the Chicago White Sox.
The 28-year-old has posted a .901 OPS with 193 home runs and 220 stolen bases over his nine-year career. Since winning NL MVP in 2023, Acuña has appeared in 197 regular-season games while missing 218 due to injury.
The Braves optioned outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move. The 30-year-old went 7-for-19 with four doubles and four walks over eight games while filling in for Acuña.
Acuña returns as the Braves sit atop the NL East at 62-43, 5.5 games up on the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. If the season ended today, the Braves (the lowest-seeded division leader) would host the Arizona Diamondbacks (the lowest-seeded wild-card team) in the opening round of the playoffs.
