Ronald Acuña Jr. was activated for a Braves-Gurdian series opener, returning from a 10-day IL stint for a strained right calf. He’s been a key producer when healthy, hitting .306 with 14 homers and 26 RBIs in 55 games this season after missing 49 games to ACL reconstruction. He batted third against Cleveland lefty Joey Cantillo, signaling immediate trust in his bat as Atlanta tries to climb out of a deep hole. Sandy León was optioned to Triple-A, narrowing Atlanta’s depth behind the plate.

Acuña’s return injects big-time fantasy value for Braves' hitters and for bettors tracking pace and lineup leverage. He’s a former NL MVP whose ceiling remains elite; guidance for fantasy: expect a power-speed boost and a top-of-order bump, but monitor calf risk and workload as he works back into an every-day rhythm. With Atlanta 15 games under .500, every win now carries outsized importance, and Acuña’s presence should help reset the lineup’s fantasy upside down the stretch.

In the Guardians’ side, Joey Cantillo started in his return to action, facing Acuña’s lineup as Cleveland opens the series. Cantillo represents a potential streaming option for fantasy managers if he settles into a consistent role and can exploit Atlanta’s left-on-left platoon dynamics. Cantillo’s performance could influence how often Guardians lean on him, especially against a Braves club that will lean on Acuña’s power and speed the moment he’s at full throttle.