By admin 
Fantasy baseball owners got some great news this morning when we learned the Atlanta Braves are activating Ronald Acuna Jr from the IL, and he is expected to be in the lineup tonight against the New York Mets. Acuna has been sidelined since June 9, after he re-aggravated a left hamstring injury that had previously cost him 15 games back in May. The Braves took extra precautions this time with the extended absence.
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Ronald Acuña Jr. is returning from the IL, per @Buster_ESPNpic.twitter.com/eTuBvdx7YL
– Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 27, 2026
The past few days weren’t a smooth transition back to Atlanta. On Friday, he appeared to have tweaked his right ankle, dropping the stomachs of Braves fans and fantasy baseball owners alike. That game then got rained out, causing a doubleheader on Saturday, which delayed Acuna’s return by a day, leading to further speculation that he might have significantly injured himself again. Fortunately, that was not the case, and he’ll be back with the Braves tonight.
Acuna’s return will have a significant impact on the Braves’ lineup and fantasy baseball lineups. We expect his presence to have an immediate impact on all the stars in Atlanta.
Fantasy Impact
OF Ronald Acuna Jr, Atlanta Braves
Acuna should be immediately inserted into fantasy lineups. Injuries have been an issue, so you don’t want to miss any starts he gives you. While we do expect him to play every night or close to it, there is a good chance that he frequently DHs for a while on nights when Drake Baldwin is catching and isn’t the DH.
Acuna is the table setter for the Braves, something they have been missing at the top of their lineup. Expect all of the Braves’ stars like Baldwin, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II to benefit from his presence in the lineup.
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We expect him to be fully healthy, but if he immediately hits his stride remains to be seen. He has a rare combination of speed and power, but we will have to just watch and see how long it takes him to get right. Odds are he won’t be stealing bases on night one; nevertheless, it would be great to see if he does. It would be nice to see some power right out of the box as well.
OF Mike Yastrzemski, Atlanta Braves
Consider Yastrzemski more of a placeholder here. Yaz, Eli White, and Dom Smith are all going to see their playing time slashed now that Acuna is back. It is going to be tough to get them into the lineup nearly as often as they have been now that Acuna is back. It’s only going to get more difficult as Acuna continues to get healthier and more confident in his hamstring.
It’s also worth noting that Brewer Hicklen has been optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett. Hicklen had been the most productive of the right-field platoon the Braves have been deploying as of late.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Braves Activate Ronald Acuna Jr From IL, Spiking The Value Of Other Top Fantasy Baseball Stars In Atlanta.
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This story was originally published July 27, 2026 at 8:34 AM.