Saturday seeds: Ronald Acuña Jr. might be back next week, PPI eligibility for Baldwin

Here's some of the news and notes you might have missed from this week

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Here's some of the news and notes you might have missed from this week.

Is Ronald back next week?

MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, discussing Atlanta’s lineup for Friday night, mentioned Alex Verdugo likely platooning with Eli White in left field when Ronald Acuña Jr. returns. Makes sense.

But it’s the way in which he said it. See if you can spot the interesting part:

Verdugo has sat against two of the past three lefties the Braves have faced, including the past two. Further reason to expect he and White could platoon when Acuna returns next week. Then they'll have to decide how to get White regular at-bats. Good problem to have.

“…when Acuna returns next week.”

Bowman went on to respond to someone who asked if he just leaked the plan with his usual sarcasm, explaining that Acuña wouldn’t be in Gwinnett long enough to get International League All-Star votes.

And look, he’s right. Acuña went 0-2 with two walks and two runs scored in his seven innings of work for the Stripers, bringing his totals over the two games so far to three hits, including a home run, and three runs scored. He also had the hardest hit ball of the night, a 110.5 mph groundout.

He’s slated to play all nine innings as the designated hitter on Saturday night, per the Stripers broadcast, but I honestly can’t see him spending too much longer in Gwinnett before returning to Atlanta. He’s locked in, seeing the ball well, and really only needs to check the fitness/conditioning boxes, in my eyes. His activation is likely either on the road for the Washington series or at home next Friday against San Diego, but given that the Stripers are on the road in Louisville next week, my money’s on Tuesday in Nationals Park.

Baldwin can get Atlanta a draft pick

One of the favorites for Rookie of the Year at the moment is catcher Drake Baldwin. He leads all qualified MLB rookies in batting average (.360), on-base percentage (.407), slugging percentage (.573), and OPS (.980). His four home runs (in 75 at-bats) are one off the league lead, shared by Kristian Campbell (146 ABs) and Dylan Crews (150).

All of this matters because, as a Top 100 prospect entering the season, Baldwin can qualify Atlanta for a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick if he somehow ends up winning Rookie of the Year.

The qualifications are threefold:

1. Appear on at least two of the three selected Top 100 prospect lists (MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and ESPN)

2. Have no more than 60 days of prior MLB service

3. Earn a full season of service time in the majors this season

Baldwin’s done one and two, and as long as he keeps hitting like this, he’ll get number three as well.

If you’re curious, AJ Smith-Shawver is on several Rookie of the Year boards but would NOT earn Atlanta a PPI pick if he were to win Rookie of the Year. Owing to his time on the injured list last season, he officially had 99 days of service time entering 2025. While MLB has a special clause that allows him to retain rookie eligibility for award purposes, he’s excluded from PPI eligibility on account of violating #2 above.

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Former Brave became free agent

Another former Braves pitcher recently became available this week, a fact I’m sure Alex Anthopoulos is already aware of.

World Series hero Tyler Matzek was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees to make room on the roster for reliever Jonathan Loáisiga to be activated from the injured list.

Matzek, 34, was non-tendered after an injury-plagued 2024 and signed a minor league deal with New York. Suffering an injury in spring training and rehabbing in the minors, he rebounded to pitch 6.1 innings across seven appearances for the Yankees, giving up only three earned runs. However, he also did it with five walks, a gaudy 14.3% walk rate.

The Braves have the option to either make a cash considerations trade for Matzek now or to wait for him to clear waivers, reject his assignment to Triple-A, and attempt to sign him as a free agent.

And listen, as much as the fanbase has grown weary of the constant additions of former Braves players from yesteryear, there’s almost no cost or downside here. It would be a minor league deal and he’ll either work out, in which case you can add him to the major league roster if needed, or it won’t and the money spent on him in Gwinnett will be minimal.

Furcal arrested

Former Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal, 47, was charged with two felonies in Miami, FL, this week: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and throwing a missile into a private dwelling.

Wild, right?

But here’s the story. Per Spanish-language baseball reporter Mike Rodriguez (the same guy who broke the news of Jurickson Profar’s suspension), he was attacked by an assailant wielding a knife and used a nearby rock to defend himself.

Florida statutes define a missile, in part, as a “stone or other hard substance which would produce death or great bodily harm.”

He wasn’t chucking sidewinders into someone’s house, although a rock thrown by Furcal could probably be classified as a deadly weapon.

He surrendered to the authorities, was released after processing, and is back home with his family.

Furcal was awarded the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2000 and was named an All-Star in 2003. He departed the Braves in free agency after the 2005 season and played for the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Marlins before retiring in 2014 at the age of 36.