Although the Atlanta Braves faced more challenges against the San Diego Padres over the weekend, seeing Ronald Acuña Jr. return to meaningful action at Truist Park was a major bright spot. Acuña delivered in the three-game series against the Padres, but the Braves, who continue to underperform, still found a way to fall short. Friday’s disastrous miscommunication between Eli White and Matt Tuiasosopo was particularly hard to watch.
With Memorial Day giving the Braves a break before they begin a road series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night, there’s now an emerging dilemma tied to Acuña’s return. What if he’s not physically able to play right field every day? What if he has to rotate into the designated hitter spot just to keep his bat active in the lineup? This dilemma exposes a much larger issue with Atlanta’s roster.
Unlike some other clubs, the Braves’ lack of defensive versatility becomes a real problem when trying to optimize the batting order. Drake Baldwin has only played as a catcher so far in his MLB tenure. Sean Murphy is also strictly a catcher. Marcell Ozuna, while once a serviceable outfielder, hasn’t been reliable in the field for years. Even before Acuña came back, finding a way to keep all three in the lineup was difficult.
One possible solution could be to sub Acuña out defensively late in games, but there might be another approach worth considering.
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Ronald Acuña Jr.’s Return May Complicate Atlanta’s Lineup Decisions Moving Forward
When Acuña was recovering from his first ACL tear three years ago, the Braves’ roster was in a very different spot. Ozuna was in the middle of the worst slump of his career and didn’t turn things around at the plate until May 2023. Back then, Atlanta used the DH role to get William Contreras’ bat into games while also keeping Travis d’Arnaud behind the plate—it worked.
Now, with Ozuna reestablished as one of the top designated hitters in the league—and particularly strong in drawing walks—it’s nearly impossible to justify taking him out of the lineup. Meanwhile, Sean Murphy is showing major improvement offensively this season, and Baldwin looks like a strong contender for NL Rookie of the Year. The real concern is protecting Acuña’s knee from additional strain throughout the season.
To manage all this, manager Brian Snitker will likely need to be strategic, choosing rest days for Acuña based on matchups and scheduling. It might even make sense to let Ozuna play the occasional game in left field just to keep his bat in the mix. In that case, either Alex Verdugo or Eli White could handle right field duties, with Michael Harris II remaining in center.
In the end, if Acuña is going to be in the lineup daily, he’ll probably need to stick to right field most of the time, with occasional DH appearances. But unlike three years ago, this situation doesn’t have a straightforward solution. It also raises the possibility that the Braves might consider moving on from Ozuna in free agency next offseason. Despite his value, his high price tag and limited versatility could make him the odd man out.
As with most roster complications, time usually brings clarity—and the Braves will likely find a way to sort it all out.