The Atlanta Braves are saying the right things publicly, but at least one national writer is saying otherwise
Regarding the “irritation” to Ronald Acuña Jr.’s meniscus, the Atlanta Braves have voiced confidence.
Regarding the knee injury, manager Brian Snitker told reporters on Saturday that “we’re trying to be optimistic,” adding that the goal was for Acuña to miss “just a couple of weeks, just to calm everything down.”
Nevertheless, Snitker issued a warning: “But honestly, I don’t know until we get what the doctor out there says.”
The general manager and president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, delivered a similar statement. He stated on Saturday, “We expect him to be ready for Opening Day barring new information.” “It looks like irritation, but we’re going to make sure we check all of the boxes.”
And there’s a lot in those “buts,” says national MLB reporter Bob Nightengale.
Atlanta officials appear to be concerned about Ronald Acuna’s right knee. He’s scheduled to take a plane to Los Angeles to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who specializes in knee surgery, to find out what’s causing him discomfort around his meniscus.
He will be placed on the injured list to start the season if arthroscopic surgery is required.
Even with the disclaimer that nobody seems to be certain whether Acuña will require meniscus surgery, Nightengale’s claim still seems a bit extreme.
To start with, Atlanta’s front office is renowned for not leaking. Does Nightengale have a source for his remarks in the front office, or is he interpreting what Snitker and Anthopoulos have said in public?
Moreover, the notion of arthroscopic knee surgery isn’t entirely terrible; Philadelphia Phillies opponent Brandon Marsh, who underwent the procedure early in February, is already participating in batting practice and defensive drills. Acuña would lose his chance to make the Opening Day roster, but the procedure is (relatively) low-risk and requires little recovery time.
However, no one from the Braves is commenting here in North Port, so we’re not sure how to interpret Nightengale’s report. We’re all currently holding our breath in anticipation of Monday’s medical examination findings.
To his credit, though, Acuña seems unconcerned.