Weiss gives Acuña a breather as Kim gets the start for Braves’ late-game push vs. Dodgers

With Atlanta looking to hold its footing in a high-leverage series moment, Braves manager Walt Weiss made a pointed adjustment to the lineup heading into the finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The most notable change was a brief day off for Ronald Acuña Jr., who was removed from the starting lineup as Weiss sought to give the star outfield and base-runner a chance to step back from recent frustrations and reset his approach.

In the same breath, Weiss leaned on a different type of momentum. Ha-Seong Kim was placed into the starting lineup for the first time since a stretch beginning in August, giving him an opportunity to build on what the Braves have described as a walk-off hit. Kim’s return to the starting role was framed as more than routine playing time, it was part of Atlanta’s attempt to turn a late-series spark into something repeatable across innings.

For the Braves, the managerial message was clear: the team is trying to balance urgency with rhythm. Removing Acuña from the everyday on-field plan does not report that the club is stepping away from its offense. Instead, it reflects a belief that a controlled reset can help a hitter who remains central to Atlanta’s game plan find a cleaner swing and a steadier mindset for the final competitive reps against a top-tier opponent.

Kim’s role carries its own kind of context. The walk-off element matters because it comes from pressure at the end of the game, when contact, situational awareness, and quick decision-making are tested. Weiss’s decision to start him in this finale suggests the Braves value that specific combination of traits and want to see it show up earlier in the game, when the team can manufacture at-bats rather than waiting for a late rally.

The matchup itself sets a standard for what “reset” means. Facing the Dodgers in a series finale, Atlanta’s lineup construction has to do more than score runs in isolation. It has to create consistent innings, protect plate discipline, and limit free passes against a club built for both matchup advantages and run prevention. With Acuña sitting, Atlanta’s offense will be forced to support the middle of the order and make sure early innings do not fall behind the pace the Braves need.

From a roster-management standpoint, the move also provides a useful data point for how Atlanta wants to deploy its pieces in the late-season grind. Weiss’s decision to give Kim a starting opportunity after a brief absence and to give Acuña a short reset indicates a willingness to experiment with the order and roles in ways that keep the team’s best tools available when the game tightens.

What to watch next is whether Kim can extend the kind of late-game impact the Braves associate with his walk-off, now that he is in the lineup from the start. Also watch how Acuña looks in his absence, because a “reset” strategy typically aims to produce a sharper return when the player is back on the field and the stakes are highest.