Braves predicted to part ways with $23M veteran stuck in ‘slog’ amid Ronald Acuna Jr. return
Braves predicted to part ways with $23M veteran stuck in ‘slog’ amid Ronald Acuna Jr. return initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves have slowly began getting more healthy at this level in the season, however each time one participant returns, one other appears to endure an unlucky damage. Ha-Seong Kim is about to return on Tuesday, whereas Eli White was positioned on the seven-day injured listing.
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Ronald Acuna Jr.. is anticipated to return sooner or later this week, doubtlessly as early as Wednesday. There is growing optimism that it could happen as early as Wednesday.
“Acuña coming off the IL when eligible on Wednesday seems optimistic. When asked, Weiss said Ronald still has some boxes to check. That being said, the fact he was doing some agility work today indicates his IL stint shouldn’t be too long,” Braves author Mark Bowman wrote.
When Acuña returns to the roster, somebody will probably lose their spot. One doable candidate is a veteran Mike Yastrzemski.
“Of the names on this listing, Mike Yastrzemski is the least probably for the Braves to minimize bait with, given the truth that he signed a two-year, $23 million deal over the offseason. But with how a lot of a slog it has been for him to date, they ought to take into account doing one thing. Acuña needs to be again quickly, and Yastrzemski needs to be the one he is changing in the lineup. Knowing that guys like Dubon, White and even Jorge Mateo can present depth, it is simpler to transfer on from Yastrzemski than the Braves is perhaps keen to admit to,” FanSided’s Zachary Rotman wrote.
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Yastrzemski’s numbers this season have fallen well short of expectations. This is not the level of production Atlanta envisioned when they signed him, and he has not provided the offensive boost the club hoped for.
Through the early stretch of the 2026 season, Yastrzemski is hitting .219 with no home runs, one stolen base, and a .593 OPS. On the surface, those numbers are already underwhelming. The deeper Statcast profile makes it even difficult to dismiss the struggles as simple bad luck.
“This will not be a hitter getting robbed by variance. This is a hitter whose contact high quality and swing choices have each slipped,” Heavy.com’s Alvin Garcia wrote.
Atlanta will have a difficult roster decision to make eleven Acuña returns. While moving on from a veteran player is never an easy choice, it may become a necessary one. Yastrzemski was viewed as an exciting addition when he signed, but much of that excitement has faded.
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Having tough roster decisions is usually a positive problem for contenders, but this situation feels relatively simple. If a move does not happen immediately when Acuña returns, it could still become inevitable if Yastrzemski’s struggles continue.
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