The Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies has been featured in almost every game this season, but will be hitting in a new spot in the order on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Albies will be batting eighth in the Braves’ lineup, the first time he has been placed that low this season, according to Aaron Schmidt of ATL News First.
The switch-hitting infielder has had a rough second half of the season, slashing .201/.260/.340 with a .599 OPS since the All-Star break. It’s a steep drop-off for Albies, who was also featured in the 2026 All-Star Game this summer.
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Atlanta still leads the National League East entering Tuesday, with its magic number to clinch the division down to seven. The Braves have dropped the first two games of the series against the Cubs and are trying to avoid a sweep on Tuesday. Even though Albies has been struggling at the plate, manager Walt Weiss has decided to keep him in the lineup rather than sit him on the bench.
The move comes with the Cubs also in a fight for a playoff spot in a crowded NL Wild Card race, where Chicago entered Tuesday holding sole possession of the top spot ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. A series win at Wrigley Field would tighten up the race further and complicate Atlanta’s push to close out the division.
Managers around the league have opted to bench players who have been laboring at the plate, but Albies’ glove in the infield has kept him in the lineup. With the Braves trying to protect their division lead down the final stretch of the regular season, Tuesday’s lineup shuffle may not be the final adjustment the club makes before the postseason field is set.
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