The Atlanta Braves entered Thursday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays looking for a much-needed win after dropping the first two games of the set. First pitch at Truist Park was scheduled for 12:15 p.m. ET, with veteran right-hander Nick Martinez on the mound for Tampa Bay.
Manager Walt Weiss responded to the slump by making several sudden adjustments to his starting nine, the most notable of which was leaving second baseman Ozzie Albies on the bench, via Underdog MLB.
Albies had gone hitless in his previous 10 at-bats across three games, a stretch that left the switch-hitter in need of a mental and physical reset. With the Braves’ lead in the National League East shrinking and the gap between Atlanta and the clubs jockeying for the top two seeds in the National League widening, Weiss opted for a different look.
Mauricio Dubón drew the start at second base in Albies’ place. Matt Olson remained at first, Ha-Seong Kim took over at shortstop, and Austin Riley stayed at third.
The rest of the lineup featured Drake Baldwin behind the plate, Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field, Michael Harris II in center, Lane Thomas in left, and Brett Hicklen serving as the designated hitter. Martín Pérez got the ball on the mound.
The configuration reflected both a desire to get Albies a breather and an attempt to generate offense against Martinez after two consecutive losses.
Albies has been a mainstay for Atlanta throughout 2026. He has appeared in 146 games, earned his fourth career All-Star nod, and compiled 558 at-bats. In that span he scored 77 runs, collected 138 hits, hit 21 home runs, and drove in 68 runs while posting a .247 batting average, .407 slugging percentage, and .710 OPS.
Those numbers illustrate why a short rest now, rather than later, made sense as the regular season heads into its final weeks.
The Braves sit at 85-61, three games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. They trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by four games in the race for the second seed and a first-round bye, with Milwaukee also in the mix.
Every remaining contest carries extra weight, which is why Weiss’s decision to sit a veteran like Albies, even for one afternoon, stood out. A day off could help the second baseman regain his timing before the stretch run intensifies.
Whether the rest produces an immediate bounce-back remains to be seen, but the move underscored the tightrope Atlanta is walking. The club still controls its division destiny yet cannot afford to let the wild-card picture or the seeding race slip further.
Thursday’s lineup was one manager’s attempt to keep both the player and the team sharp at a critical moment.
