The Atlanta Braves are in dire need of a win after dropping each of their first two games against the Tampa Bay Rays entering Thursday’s finale.
Atlanta will take on Tampa Bay at 12:15 p.m. ET, and ahead of the matchup, Braves manager Walt Weiss has made some sudden changes to his starting lineup as the team prepares to face veteran Rays right-hander Nick Martinez.
Braves Announce Ozzie Albies Decision
The most notable move Weiss made for the finale involved removing infielder Ozzie Albies from the starting lineup.
Albies has gone 0-for-10 over his last three games at the plate. So a day off may be just what he needs.
However, the Braves’ NL East division lead over the Philadelphia Phillies continues to shrink, while the gap between Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers for the top two seeds in the NL continues to grow.
Mauricio Dubon will take Albies’ spot at second base Thursday, while Matt Olson will play first, Ha-Seong Kim will start at shortstop and Austin Riley will man third.
Here’s the Braves starting lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Braves 9/10 D. Baldwin C R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF M. Dubón 2B L. Thomas LF A. Riley 3B B. Hicklen DH H. Kim SS M. Pérez SP.”
Braves 9/10
D. Baldwin C
R. Acuña Jr. RF
M. Olson 1B
M. Harris II CF
M. Dubón 2B
L. Thomas LF
A. Riley 3B
B. Hicklen DH
H. Kim SSM. Pérez SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 10, 2026
Albies’ 2026 Season
Albies has played 146 games for Atlanta this season and earned his fourth career All-Star selection. He has logged 558 at-bats, scored 77 runs, collected 138 hits, launched 21 home runs and driven in 68 RBIs while batting .247 with a .407 slugging percentage and a .710 OPS.
Looking at the Braves
Atlanta now owns an 85-61 record. This puts the Braves three games ahead of the Phillies for first place in the NL East.
The Braves sit four games behind the Dodgers for second place in the NL, which would give them a first-round bye.
Atlanta Braves Announce Sudden Ozzie Albies Decision Before Rays Series Finale