Acuña (hamstring) and Kim (finger) begin Minor League rehab stints with FCL Braves

Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim, two key bats for the Atlanta Braves, began Minor League rehab assignments with the FCL Braves on Monday at the club’s North Port, Florida facility, the team announced. The move reflects the next phase of return-to-play work for both players, each sidelined for a different reason and each needing live-in-game innings or swings to test their bodies under game conditions.

Acuña’s hamstring issue started when he strained his left hamstring on June 9. Rehab assignments are designed to bridge the gap between training and a return to full-time Major League workload, and the Braves indicated they have not set an announced timetable for how long his stint will last. That lack of a stated length underscores how hamstring recoveries often depend on day-to-day tolerance, especially with a player whose game depends on speed, sudden changes of direction, and hard, repeated running actions.

Kim’s assignment is connected to a finger injury, a type of problem that can affect both batting grip and the stress of fielding and throwing. As with Acuña, the Braves have not detailed how long Kim’s rehab will run. The right-left overlap of roster needs in late July often makes rehab timing especially important, but the club’s decision to keep the duration open suggests it will be governed by how Kim can handle contact, defensive reps, and throwing progression once the sting from the injury eases.

The Braves placed both players in the same Minor League rehab environment, the FCL Braves, which functions as an early-stage setting for players returning from injury. That matters because it allows players to get repetitions while the Major League team manages its day-to-day lineup decisions. Minor League rehab stints also give team medical staff and player development personnel a clearer look at whether a player is ready for the intensity and frequency of Major League play.

Kim’s rehab assignment carries additional weight because of the investment Atlanta made in him earlier this year. The Braves’ announcement referenced Kim’s one-year, $20 million contract signed in January, tying his return to a larger expectation that he can provide steady contributions once fully healthy. For the player himself, the rehab process is as much about timing and comfort as it is about pain, with fingers sometimes requiring longer to regain the confidence needed for consistent contact and clean transfer during swings.

For Acuña, the stakes are both immediate and long-term. The left hamstring is not a typical “rest and resume” ailment, because the injury can affect stride length, acceleration, and the ability to generate speed in baserunning and defensive positioning. Starting with a rehab assignment rather than a direct jump to the Majors suggests the Braves want a controlled ramp-up, especially given that Acuña’s value extends beyond counting stats into how his movement reshapes baserunning threats and defensive assignments.

With both stints now underway, Atlanta will watch for the usual rehab milestones: improved tolerance over successive days, stable mechanics during game action, and confidence in returning to full effort without flare-ups. The Braves have not indicated how soon either player will be activated, so the next determinations will likely come down to what each player can accomplish in practice and in Minor League games as the rehab progresses.