The Atlanta Braves have won seven games in a row to propel them to a 69-45 record entering play on Thursday. They are first place in the National League East and eight and a half games over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies.
They will conclude their current three-game series versus the Miami Marlins (58-57) on Thursday, starting at 7:15 p.m. ET. For the series finale, the Braves are not rolling out their usual order.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies is missing. He has yet to miss a game this year, playing in all 114 possible contests. Finally in game 115 he is absent. Manager Walt Weiss told Barrett Sallee of 680 The Fan that the second baseman is just getting the night off.
There is also the added reason of getting utility Mauricio Dubón some playing time. This will of course be his first appearance at second base this season. He had previously spent a large chunk of time there with the Houston Astros, to excellent defensive results.
Albies’ presence will certainly be missed. Over 492 plate appearances in 2026, he is slashing .261/.311/.437 for a .748 OPS. He has mashed 19 home runs with 63 RBIs.
Now in the final year of his eight-year, $38 million rookie extension, the 29-year-old Albies has turned it up a notch on offense from the past two seasons. He was a below-average hitter by OPS in 2024 and 2025.
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Albies has been a little better on defense this year, too. In 1,007 ⅓ innings at second, he has posted two defensive runs saved (h/t FanGraphs). He has been roughly average at the position for most of his 10 MLB seasons.
As for Dubón, he will bat fifth in Thursday’s lineup versus Miami right-hander Janson Junk (4-6, 4.58 ERA). Albies had hit in the fifth spot of the order in six of Atlanta’s past seven games, so there is not too much change up and down the lineup.
In 109 games this season, Dubón is slashing .262/.310/.396 (.706 OPS) with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs. This has been one of his best seasons with the bat in his career, and his ability to play almost anywhere on the field makes him a valuable piece.
