The Atlanta Braves fell 4-2 to the Minnesota Twins on Monday night in their series opener.
For Tuesday’s matchup, the Braves will have right-hander Tyler Mahle on the mound against Minnesota righty Zebby Matthews, and Atlanta manager Walt Weiss has made some notable changes to his lineup.
Braves Announce Austin Riley Change
Weiss operates with a day-to-day lineup and likes to make slight tweaks, especially near the top of the order with Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuna Jr.
He’s doing the same at the bottom of the lineup after batting Austin Riley, who’s having a down year, eighth on Monday.
For Game 2, Weiss is moving Riley up one spot to the No. 7 hole. Riley will start at third base and bat ahead of Mauricio Dubon and Sean Murphy.
Here’s the full Braves lineup:
Braves 8/18
D. Baldwin DH
R. Acuña Jr. RF
M. Olson 1B
M. Harris II CF
O. Albies 2B
M. Yastrzemski LF
A. Riley 3B
M. Dubón SS
S. Murphy CT. Mahle SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 18, 2026
Riley’s 2026 Season
Riley is in his eighth season with the Braves and is on pace to set career lows across the board in nearly every major hitting category.
He’s currently batting just .226 with a .372 slugging percentage and a .669 OPS.
Across 124 games and 446 at-bats this season, Riley has recorded 53 runs, 100 hits, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
Looking at the Braves
Atlanta is 74-51 on the season, putting them just half a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-best record in the National League, behind only the Milwaukee Brewers.
They also hold a significant 6.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Unless Atlanta suffers a late-season collapse and squanders that cushion, the Braves should at least be in position to secure a top-three seed in the NL postseason.
Atlanta Braves Announce Austin Riley Change During Twins Series