Ronald Acuña Jr. homers on first pitch in Braves return

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ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. crushed his first pitch 467 feet for a home run in his dramatic return to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, almost one year after he tore his left ACL.

Acuña, in his customary leadoff position in the lineup, turned on a fastball from San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta and sent the ball into the seats in left-center. Acuña hesitated briefly on his jog around the bases for a shuffle step.

The homer by Acuña had an exit velocity of 115.5 mph. It was the hardest hit ball by a Braves player this season.

Acuña added a single in his next at-bat and also enjoyed a defensive highlight, throwing out Elias Díaz at second base in the eighth…