Braves’ Acuña gets an early start
Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has been cleared to play in the World Baseball Classic and was taking swings at the team’s spring training camp on Wednesday, getting an early start on a season with high expectations.
Acuña hit .266 with 15 homers and drove in 50 runs in 119 games in 2022 after sustaining a season-ending torn ligament in his right knee on July 10, 2021.
Acuña played through knee pain last season and at times was used as the team’s designated hitter.
Now the Braves’ three-time All-star is looking forward to a pain-free season with hopes of returning to his 2019 peak form, when he batted .280 with 41 homers and 101 RBIS and led the NL with 37 stolen bases.
“I’m just beyond excited and happy,” Acuña said through a translator last month at the Braves Fest fan event at Truist Park. “I think my face says it all. I think it’s beyond two years at this point since I’ve felt completely healthy, so I’m beyond excited.”
The Braves at first planned to keep Acuña out of the WBC. The team was persuaded there’s no reason he can’t take a break from his normal spring training schedule to represent his native Venezuela in the WBC, assuming he has no setbacks.
“Me personally, I’ve always wanted to represent my team and play in the Classic,” Acuña said.
A healthy Acuña is especially important as the five-time defending NL East champion Braves look to replace Dansby Swanson at shortstop and search for a starter in left field.
“I expect him to be better than the 2019 Ronald,” said second baseman Ozzie Albies. “When he went all off. I think he’s going to have a big year this year . ... Last year he came back kind of still playing not 100 percent. We talked to him and he said he feels better. He’s going to have a crazy year.”
Among other Atlanta position players reporting to camp early: Albies, 1B Matt Olson, 3B Austin Riley, CF Michael Harris II and OFS Sam Hilliard, Kevin Pillar and Eli White.
Shooting for the stars
New York manager Aaron Boone said it is too early to say if the Yankees have closed the gap with the World Series champion Houston Astros.
“We can talk about closing the gap but right now that’s all talk,” Boone said. “We’ll see. We’re in February. We’ve got a long way to go to even get that opportunity to find out if we get to play in the playoffs and have that crack again. We feel like that’s our expectation.”
The Yankees haven’t won the World Series since 2009.
Angels: Infielder Gio Urshela went to salary arbitration with the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, asking for $10 million rather than the team’s $8.4 million offer.
Nationals: Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg did not report with other pitchers to spring training on Wednesday after a recent setback in his comeback from a 2021 operation to correct thoracic outlet syndrome. Strasburg, 34, had a nerve-related setback in a recent bullpen session, Mlb.com reported. He made only one start in 2022, giving up seven runs in a loss at Miami on June 9.
Rangers: Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob degrom was held out of the first spring training workout for Texas on Wednesday because their top free-agent acquisition felt some tightness in his left side.
Rockies: Colorado manager Bud Black agreed to a one-year contract extension Wednesday that goes through the 2024 season.
White Sox: Mike Clevinger has reported to the Chicago White Sox for spring training, joining his new team amid an ongoing investigation by Major League Baseball into allegations of domestic violence. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told reporters on Wednesday the team’s “only option” was to allow the right-hander to come to camp while awaiting results of MLB’S investigation.