Braves' stars Freeman, Acuna healthy for NLDS

Atlanta stars Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna Jr. declared themselves healthy and ready to play when the Braves open the National League Division Series against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Freeman has been plagued by a right elbow injury while Acuna has been dealing with left hip tightness.

Freeman was encouraged after testing the elbow during a simulated game on Tuesday. He has a bone spur that may require offseason surgery. "I didn't feel my elbow at all, which is very encouraging," Freeman said during a press conference. "I'm going to have no problems ... at all when I swing. I faced the live (batting practice). And that's usually when it was coming, when I faced velocity and hitting the ball. And I felt nothing yesterday. So, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow because I think I'm going to be 100 percent."

Freeman, 30, missed just four games all season and three of them were late in the campaign due to the elbow. He batted .295 and established career highs of 38 homers and 121 RBIs. However, the elbow has affected his power, as his last homers came on Sept. 1, when he went deep twice. Acuna missed Atlanta's final four games after being injured against the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 24. But he said the time off helped him recover.

"Feels good," Acuna said Wednesday through a translator. "... Feel back to 100 percent and ready to go into the next series." Acuna, 21, batted .280 with 41 homers and 101 RBIs in 156 games. He led the NL with 37 steals and 127 runs scored.

One roster surprise was that Opening Day starter Julio Teheran isn't part of the playoff roster for this series. Atlanta put together an 11-man staff that doesn't include the right-hander, who went 10-11 with a 3.81 ERA in 33 starts. "We wouldn't be in the playoffs without him," Freeman said of the 28-year-old Teheran. "It's tough. He's been with me since this all started back in the day in 2011. He's seen this thing through the hard times, too."

 

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