The Atlanta Braves can breathe a sigh of relief today.

Because yes, multiple doctors said that Ronald Acuña Jr’s knee issue, diagnosed as “irritation of the meniscus”, wouldn’t prevent him from being in the lineup on Opening Day.

But being told he’s going to be fine and watching him actually take the field are two different things, and Atlanta got to watch Ronald Acuña Jr. play baseball today.

Per a social media video from Leandro Soto Jr., shared on Twitter by Braves reporter Grant McAuley, Acuña played a simulated game against Braves minor leaguers on the backfields of the team’s facility in North Port, FL. today.

Now, we don’t have stats on how Ronald did in the game or even know how many at-bats he got in the sim game.

But the important thing is – he was out there.

Ronald told us “I could play today” when we talked to him after returning from medical checks in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the same surgeon that did his ACL repair over the summer of 2021.

But despite that proclamation, both Acuña and manager Brian Snitker were adamant that he wouldn’t see any game action until cleared by head athletic trainer George Pulis.

The fact that Acuña was able to take both batting practice and do defensive drills on Friday, followed by a simulated game on Saturday, tells us that the rough timeline of Opening Day potentially a bit more conservative than it needed to be. While there’s no need to rush Acuña back into Grapefruit League games that ultimately don’t matter, it’s comforting to know that there’s plenty of time to ease him back into game action and let him make sure he’s ready to go offensively, from a timing standpoint, before the regular season begins.

Atlanta opens the 2024 season with a road trip to Philadelphia and Chicago, taking on the Phillies for three games and the White Sox for three more, before the home opener on Friday, April 5th against the Arizona Diamondbacks.