The Atlanta Braves are set to open a crucial four-game showdown against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.
The NL East rivals currently occupy the top two spots in the division race, with Philadelphia trailing Atlanta by four games. The division leader would also secure a guaranteed top-three seed in the National League playoff picture.
Before the series opener, which features a marquee pitching matchup between Braves ace Chris Sale and Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss made a notable adjustment to his lineup.
Braves Move Matt Olson Into Cleanup Role
Matt Olson has been Atlanta’s most productive offensive player throughout the 2026 season. The first baseman has spent nearly the entire year hitting third in the lineup, typically following Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin.
However, Weiss made a change ahead of Friday’s matchup, moving Olson into the No. 4 spot while elevating second baseman Ozzie Albies into the third spot.
The move marks a rare lineup adjustment for Olson, who has batted cleanup only 23 times this season. His other 115 starts have come from the No. 3 position.
The Braves’ full lineup for Friday:
- Ronald Acuña Jr. – RF
- Drake Baldwin – DH
- Ozzie Albies – 2B
- Matt Olson – 1B
- Lane Thomas – LF
- Mauricio Dubón – CF
- Sean Murphy – C
- Austin Riley – 3B
- Ha-Seong Kim – SS
SP: Chris Sale
Olson Putting Together Career-Best Campaign
Now in his 11th MLB season and fifth year with Atlanta, Olson is having one of the strongest seasons of his career.
The veteran slugger is hitting .254 through 140 games, collecting 138 hits, 94 runs, 37 home runs, and 80 RBIs across 544 at-bats. He owns a .518 slugging percentage and an .847 OPS while leading all of baseball with 33 doubles.
With the Braves entering their biggest series stretch of the season, Weiss is hoping the lineup change can provide another boost from one of Atlanta’s most dangerous bats.