The Braves are getting closer to some much-needed reinforcements, with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim both beginning rehab work and Spencer Schwellenbach moving toward his own return path.
Acuna has joined Andrew McCutchen and Kim with the FCL Braves to start his rehab assignment. Atlanta has taken a cautious approach with the superstar outfielder after his hamstring injury, and so far the focus has been less on results and more on whether he can get through at-bats without pain.
That part has gone well. Acuna is 0-for-6 with two strikeouts across two games, and he has served as the DH in both, a role that likely fits his first few games back.
Kim’s rehab has offered a little more to build on. The offseason addition has struggled badly this year, hitting .068 over 73 at-bats, and he landed on the injured list with a finger issue on July 4.
Since beginning his assignment with the FCL Braves, though, he has gone 2-for-4 in two games. One of those hits was a home run in his first game on July 13, and he has also added one RBI, one walk and two strikeouts.
It’s still a long climb back, but any positive signs matter for a player trying to reset after such a rough start.
On the pitching side, the Braves are still waiting for help that won’t arrive immediately. Spencer Schwellenbach is expected to head to Florida to begin working his way back in a couple of weeks, but he won’t be available until the end of August or early September.
AJ Smith-Shawver is also working back and could return later this season. For Atlanta, the timing matters because the rotation has been hammered by injuries and inconsistency, and the club may still need to add a starter at the deadline.
For now, the Braves are trying to patch things together and stay in the race. Getting Schwellenbach healthy would be a big boost when he’s ready, but there’s no reason to force the issue if they can avoid it.
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