Acuna goes 0 for 4 return

Rookie missed 28 games after tumble in Boston.

Ronald Acuna ST. LOUIS — made his long-awaited return to the Braves’ lineup Friday. Acuna manned left field

and was slated sixth in the lineup in the series opener at St. Louis. He went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in a 5-1 win.

The 20-year-old missed 28 games because of a left knee ACL sprain and knee and lower-back contusions.

“I’m beyond excited,” Acuna said through an inter- preter. “I say the emotions are comparable to my call-up. That’s how excited I feel.”

Manager Brian Snitker liked what he saw from Acuna despite the lackluster results, both at the plate and running to first.

“He was right on some pitches,” Snitker said. “Just missed some pitches. He swung the bat well. The results weren’t great, but

one of those first 100 (mph), 101 pitches he got off ( Jor- dan) Hicks, he was all over it. So that’s a good sign too.”

Acuna took a nasty tumble May 27 in Boston, leading many to initially believe his season was over. The diagno- sis was about the best news the Braves could’ve asked for.

He’s maintained in recent weeks he was ready to play,

but the team wasn’t taking any chances. They played it slowly with their No. 1 prospect, especially given his natural tendency to push himself every play.

Acuna spent a week in Florida doing agility testing and drills under supervision of team therapists and instruc- tors. He was sent on a rehab assignment June 22.

“I was honest when I said I felt ready,” he said. “I told them, and they were just try- ing to be cautious with me and take me down to Florida to make sure I went through

the right steps. I felt ready.” While with Triple-A Gwinnett, Acuna went 3 for 21 (.143), but the team was more concerned with his process than the results.

Snitker watched Acuna single and steal a base on his iPad earlier in the week. He, and obviously the med- ical staff, was satisfied with how Acuna performed in the brief rehab stint.

“I know he’s excited and we’re excited about having him back,” Snitker said. “You get a guy with that skill level, what he did for our team when he came, it was a long month. So he’s feeling good and we’re excited about having him back out there.” Ender Inciarte and Ozzie Albies have been formidable atop the lineup in the last week. While Acuna hit second in 25 of his 29 big league games, don’t expect to see him back in that spot soon. Instead, Acuna will likely remain at or around sixth.

“He hadn’t hit in a month, so that’s a good spot for him,” Snitker said. “If he gets hot, he can produce some runs. Without getting him up there

and letting a lot of at-bats pile up, that’ll be a good spot to put him starting off.”

The prized rookie hit .265 with 12 extra-base hits and 13 RBIs in his first 29 games. The Braves were 18-11 in that span.

McCarthy update: The Braves and Brandon McCa- rthy are hopeful he’ll miss

only one start. The veteran was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with right-knee tendinitis that has plagued him throughout the year.

McCarthy hadn’t pitched six or more innings in five of his past six starts. He said he’s battled tendinitis off and on since the end of 2016, but it revved up in recent weeks.

“It’s really just been a long management thing from that

point on,” McCarthy said. “I don’t remember when it

happened then, but in terms of this season, it’s almost been start to start. Some have been OK, some I’ve battled

through it.”

The tendinitis especially flared up during McCarthy’s most recent start, when he went five innings and allowed three runs against the Orioles. He has a 5.40 ERA his

past four starts, including allowing six home runs in 21⅔ innings.

He felt it during an at-bat Sunday, and said it became nearly unbearable by the fourth inning. When he didn’t feel comfortable in a later bullpen session, the team decided to sideline him.

“It just wasn’t getting any better,” Snitker said. “We just felt at this point, again, it’s like all those guys. You don’t want them looking for a spot where things don’t hurt or they’ll end up hurting something else. If it’s enough to bother him, especially in your legs, it’s a big deal. Just trying to get him right again.”

Snitker hopes McCarthy won’t miss more than one start, which would’ve been Saturday in St. Louis.

The Braves acquired McCarthy in a trade with the Dodg- ers in December. He is 6-3 with a 4.92 ERA in 15 starts, striking out 65 and walking 21 in 78⅔ innings.

JEFF ROBERSON / AP Braves rookie Ronald Acuna, who went 0 for 4 in his return from the DL, is forced out as Cardinals first baseman Jose Martinez handles the throw Friday.