The Atlanta Braves secured a massive 5-2 series-opening victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.
Yet, despite the victory, Braves manager Walt Weiss, as he usually does, is once again tweaking his starting lineup for Game 2 of the series Saturday night. The game will feature left-hander Martin Perez on the bump for the Braves against Phillies righty Zack Wheeler.
Braves Announce Ronald Acuna Jr. Change
One of those changes involves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who started in right field and hit leadoff on Friday.
For this game, though, Acuna Jr. will once again start in right field but will instead switch spots in the order with catcher Drake Baldwin. Acuna Jr. will bat second, while Baldwin leads off.
This continues to be something Weiss has done since Acuna Jr. returned from injury last month, and for the most part, it’s worked.
Here’s the full Braves lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Braves 9/5 D. Baldwin C R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF M. Dubón LF O. Albies 2B D. Smith DH A. Riley 3B H. Kim SS M. Pérez SP.”
Braves 9/5
Braves 9/5
D. Baldwin C
R. Acuña Jr. RF
M. Olson 1B
M. Harris II CF
M. Dubón LF
O. Albies 2B
D. Smith DH
A. Riley 3B
H. Kim SSM. Pérez SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 5, 2026
Acuna Jr.’s 2026 Season
While he’s spent part of the year injured, he’s been highly effective for Atlanta in his ninth season when healthy.
He’s currently batting .249 across 88 games. In 344 at-bats, he’s recorded 50 runs, 83 hits, 14 home runs, 40 RBIs and 20 stolen bases while slugging .422 with a .720 OPS.
Looking at the Braves
Atlanta enters Saturday with an 84-57 overall record, 5.0 games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East, which is why this series is so crucial down the stretch of the regular season.
The two teams will meet again Sunday and Monday before facing off once again in a series next weekend.
Atlanta Braves Announce Ronald Acuna Jr. Change During Phillies Series