The Philadelphia Phillies' NL East rival Atlanta Braves got some good news on Friday. They announced that former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. had been activated from the injured list and reinstated to the active roster.
While Acuña's return is not great news for the rest of the division and the National League, Phillies fans can take some solace in the corresponding roster move. Known Bryce Harper antagonist Orlando Arcia was designated for assignment. Rejoice!
The #Braves today returned OF Ronald Acuña Jr. from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list. The club also designated INF Orlando Arcia for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 23, 2025
Orlando Arcia's DFA won't sadden Phillies fans after NLDS incident with Bryce Harper
Phillies fans won't shed a tear for the now DFA'd infielder, who completed the dramatic fall from grace after an All-Star 2023 season. If you don't recall, Arcia was public enemy No. 1 in Philadelphia during the 2023 NLDS.
Arcia got on Harper's bad side thanks to a clubhouse leak mocking the Phillies' first baseman after some questionable base running that ended Game 2, according to Jake Mintz of FOX Sports — and the infamous "Atta boy!" catchphrase was born.
Harper didn't say anything publicly. He just let his bat do the talking in Game 3. In typical Harper fashion, he smashed two home runs and stared down Arcia on both trips around the bases. It's an image that is now burned into Phillies postseason lore.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 11, 2023
Since the Phillies took that series 3-1, Harper likely hasn't given much thought to Arcia. He's going about his business with the Phillies as their hottest hitter recently.
Arcia, on the other hand, has seen a dramatic fall off from his 2023 campaign when he hit .264 with a .741 OPS, 17 home runs and 65 RBIs. In 2022, he hit .218 with a .625 OPS, but still managed 17 homers.
This season, through 14 games, the 30-year-old infielder hit just .194 with a .445 OPS and one RBI. He's striking out a career-high 25 percent and walking at a career-low rate of 3.1 percent.
With the Braves getting off to a historically bad start to the season, they can't afford any dead weight as they attempt to climb back in to the NL East race. Entering Friday, they trail the first place Phillies by 7.5 games and are just 5-5 in their last 10 games.
And with Arcia out of the picture, there will be one less villain coming to town when the Braves visit Citizens Bank Park next week.