Just in case you thought the Phillies only lost a game Thursday night, there was Luis Arraez, unable to put weight on his left leg as he limped off the field.
And now, it’s unclear if he will play again this season.
Diagnosed with a sprained left ankle after landing on it awkwardly to avoid a tag at first base while legging out a grounder in the sixth inning, Arraez’s availability will hinge on how he responds to treatment. X-rays were negative, according to interim manager Don Mattingly.
“We’ll see more, we’ll know more [Friday],” Mattingly said after the Phillies’ latest attempt to clinch a wild card was foiled with a 5-1 loss to the Brewers. “We’ll see what happens, see how he walks in, or talk to him [Friday].”
Arraez was unavailable for comment.
Closing in on his fourth batting title with a National League-leading .310 average, Arraez is hitting .278 with a .309 on-base percentage for the Phillies since they traded for him at the Aug. 3 deadline. He has been the cleanup hitter in all 44 of his starts.
The Phillies rearranged three-quarters of their infield to accommodate Arraez at second base. If he’s unable to play in the last three regular-season games against the Rays and (maybe) beyond, they could shuffle everything again, possibly even moving Bryce Harper back to first base from right field.
“Yeah,” Harper said. “I’ll do anything.”
When Arraez left the game, the Phillies moved Bryson Stott back to second base, inserted Edmundo Sosa at third, and kept Alec Bohm at first base and Harper in right field. Mattingly mentioned that as one potential alignment.
“I think it’s just putting our full effort in as a lineup and saying it’s the next-man-up mentality,” Harper said. “Sosa’s been great for us all year. So, if he’s in the lineup, obviously he’s going to be our guy even in the short term.”
Another possibility includes Bryan De La Cruz in right field, Harper at first base, and Bohm at third. The Rays are scheduled to start three left-handed pitchers, which likely keeps lefty-hitting Brandon Marsh in the lineup.
In any case, the Phillies must generate more offense. Even with Arraez, they scored once in each of the last two games against the Brewers after scoring three runs in five consecutive games last week against the Nationals and Mets.
Trea Turner said it would be “rough” if the Phillies must play without Arraez.
“He’s kind of locked down that four hole for us and just keep the line moving,” Turner said. “Whether people are on or he’s leading off, it feels like he’s making us a lot better. And the defense has been really good, too. So, I think that’s going to be a little bit of a blow.”
Arraez was trying to beat out a grounder to shortstop when Cooper Pratt’s throw pulled Jake Bauers off the first base bag. As Arraez tried to dodge the tag, he appeared to twist his ankle and fell to the ground in pain.
In an equally cruel twist, Arraez was called out when the umpires said he ran out of the baseline. Mattingly contested that Arraez’s last step before passing Bauers was in the box attached to the baseline.
“So, no matter how far he moves, for me, he’s in the box,” Mattingly said. “Now, if I’m wrong on that, I’m wrong. But he’s still inside that box. … I’ve always felt like you can run in that box all day long and do whatever. So, yeah, I don’t get that one.”
Leave a Reply