JACKSONVILLE (CW69 News at 10) – Atlanta Braves veteran outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. went 1-for-3 in his first rehab game for the Gwinnett Stripers, but that wasn’t enough to help lift the Stripers past the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp as Gwinnett suffered their third straight shutout loss, going down 2-0 Tuesday night at 121 Financial Ballpark.
The 24-year-old Acuña is on Atlanta’s 10-day injured list while recovering from a right ACL tear he suffered on July 10, 2021 at Miami. This rehab stint marks his first game action since the injury.
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It is the fourth Triple-A stint for Acuña, who owns a career .305 average (95-for-311) with 16 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 47 runs, 36 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and an .830 OPS in 77 career games for the Stripers. He debuted with Gwinnett in 2017, batting .344 with nine homers, 33 RBIs, 11 steals, and a .941 OPS in 54 games to conclude a season in which he was named the Minor League Player of the Year by both Baseball America and USA Today. Acuña returned twice in 2018, including once on a rehab assignment (June 22-27 while out with a left knee contusion and mild ACL sprain), and hit .211 with one homer, three RBIs, and five steals in 23 games.
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Since last playing for the Stripers on June 27, 2018, Acuña has gone on to earn numerous Major League Baseball accolades, including the National League Rookie of the Year Award (2018), two NL Silver Slugger Awards (2019, 2020), and two NL All-Star Team selections (2019, 2021). Over his four-year career with Atlanta, he has combined to bat .281 (426-for-1,516) with 78 doubles, seven triples, 105 homers, 323 runs, 246 RBIs, 78 steals, and a .925 OPS in 395 games.
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Gwinnett will be on the road in Jacksonville through Sunday, April 24. The Stripers return home to Coolray Field on Tuesday, April 26 for the opener of a six-game series vs. the Norfolk Tides, first pitch is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. for Education Day. Tickets are on sale now at GoStripers.com.
