Braves running back same lineup for Phillies opener

TL;DR

The Atlanta Braves will maintain the same lineup for their opener against the Phillies, featuring Dominic Smith as the designated hitter. Smith has been performing well, with 15 RBIs in 15 games this season.

Key points

Braves keep same lineup for Phillies opener
Dominic Smith is batting .381 with 15 RBIs
Taijuan Walker has a 4.63 ERA against Braves
Brandon Marsh is resting, Otto Kemp starts for Phillies
Martín Pérez is starting for the Braves

Atlanta BravesPhiladelphia Phillies

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 15: Ozzie Albies #1 celebrates with Dominic Smith #8 of the Atlanta Braves after a home run against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at Truist Park on April 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images Another right-handed starter on the mound means another start for Dominic Smith in the Braves lineup for Friday night’s opener of the road series against the Phillies. Smith, who is still on a torrid start to his Braves tenure, will bat seventh and serve as the designated hitter with Philadelphia starting veteran Taijuan Walker on the hill. With five more RBIs in the Marlins series, Smith is up to 15 RBIs in as many games played early this season, batting .381 and OPSing 1.043 in 42 at-bats. The lineup is carrying over from the Marlins series finale, with Mike Yastrzemski back in the lineup and once again of at the bottom of the order. Walker, who is in his sixth straight season in the NL East with (2021-22) and Phillies (2023-26), is 3-2 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 games against the Braves in his career. He faced Atlanta twice last season, allowing no runs over a combined 6 2/3 innings. The current Braves roster is 27-for-89 (.303) against Walker with three homers, six doubles, 18 strikeouts and 14 walks. Harris actually has two of those homers off Walker and is hitting .444 against him in his career. is hitting just .231 against him but does have three doubles. Smith is 2-for-3 (.667) against Walker, who he was teammates with in New York for two seasons. With Atlanta starting a southpaw in , Philadelphia is giving a rare night off, starting in left field and placing him ninth in the lineup. Marsh has a team-high .290 batting average early this season and is among the team leaders with 11 RBIs this season. Pérez, a first-time NL East pitcher this season, is 4-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 10 games against the Phillies over his career. The current Phillies roster is 30-for-99 (.303) against Pérez with five doubles, two homers, 19 strikeouts and 13 walks. , who is also not in the starting lineup, is 2-for-2 against him, while is 8-of-17 (.471) with a homer and five RBIs. also has a homer and a .357 average against Pérez.

Q&A

What is Dominic Smith's performance this season with the Braves?

Dominic Smith has 15 RBIs in 15 games and is batting .381 with an OPS of 1.043.

How has Taijuan Walker performed against the Braves historically?

Taijuan Walker has a career record of 3-2 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 games against the Braves.

What changes are being made to the Phillies lineup for the game against the Braves?

Brandon Marsh is getting a night off, with Otto Kemp starting in left field and batting ninth.

Braves running back same lineup for Phillies opener

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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