The Atlanta Braves shocked the world by fighting their way to a World Series title in 2021. Moreover, they did so without one of the most electric and talented players in Major League Baseball: Ronald Acuña Jr.
The Venezuelan superstar was their offensive leader more often than not. However, he suffered a significant knee injury that was going to keep him out for the remainder of the season. Needless to say, people ruled them out right away, which is why it was so emotional for them when they finished the season strong and with the Commissioner's Trophy.
Now, nine months after his injury, Acuña's finally getting ready to be back on the field, but the road has been as hard as it's been painful, according to a recent interview with The Athletic.
'I Was Ready To Quit,' Says Acuña
Acuña was a star on the rise before his injury. But even a guy as confident and talented as him had doubts about being able to overcome it. He claimed he was constantly depressed and even though about quitting:
"I told my mom, ‘I want to quit,’” Acuña said. “I didn’t really mean it. It was just something I said. It was just the emotion in that moment. I had to fight with the pain every day. My body wasn’t used to that. I wasn’t used to that. It was the worst thing in my entire life.”“She told me I was a warrior,” the young star added. “She told me, ‘You have a lot of people cheering for you here, back home in Venezuela, and our family loves you, and you’re going to keep going.’ My family is what kept me going.”He's Getting Closer
Now, Acuña claims he's in even better shape than he was before the injury. He's expected to be back at some point in early May, so he'll have plenty of chances to prove that.
"I didn't know if I would come back and be the same," he said. "Now, I'm healthy again. Actually, I feel I'm better than I was."Right now, the Venezuelan star is serving as the DH for Triple-A Gwinnett and the team is aiming for a return on May 6. He's expected to continue playing at DH while they ramp him up before being cleared to be in the outfield again.
Needless to say, having Ronald Acuña Jr. back on the field makes the Braves a big candidate to win back-to-back pennants, but knee injuries are tricky and tend to linger, so they spare no precautions with him.
]]>The Inquisitr
