The aggressive move for Luis Arraez at the trade deadline is starting to seem like it might not impact the Phillies in October.
In Thursday’s tilt against the Milwaukee Brewers, Arraez sprained his left ankle while running out a ground ball in the sixth. The reaction— both from Arraez and viewers— was anything but pretty. The second baseman rolled over in immediate pain, as the first base camera revealed a clear shot of his ankle jamming into the dirt. MRIs indicated an ankle sprain, and interim manager Don Mattingly told reporters on Friday it’s “not a great one.”
Rewind to August 3, when Philadelphia traded their No. 4 prospect Ramon Marquez to the Giants to acquire Luis Arraez. The Phillies needed an extra bat, and they got arguably the most luxurious rental bat on the market. The move revitalized their offense, and they caught fire in August.
However, Arraez and the Phillies cooled off in September, and it’s costing them. Once on cruise control to October, the Phillies lost nine of their last 14 games and hold the final wild card spot by just a single game. The red-hot Diamondbacks are knocking on the door, while the Phillies are scrambling to hold onto their season.
Unfortunately, the road only gets harder without Arraez for the near future.
Mattingly announced that Arraez is not going to the IL just yet, but they will re-evaluate that decision today, per MLB.com. He added that Arraez woke up very sore Friday morning, a tough sign for his chances to fight through it.
It’s almost certain that Arraez will not play in the final two regular season games against Tampa Bay, which is a concern in itself. Essentially, the Phillies need to “hold serve” against the D-Backs, who hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Philadelphia holds a one-game lead, but a tie would favor the D-Backs and send them to the Postseason. Both the Rays (PHI’s opponent) and the Padres (ARI’s opponent) have little left to play for, but that has yet to show.
If anything, the Padres replacing their starters on Friday night in the seventh inning should concern the Phillies. However, San Diego is still looking to secure a home Wild Card series, so there’s some urgency at Petco Park.
Regardless, Philadelphia is facing a nervous task without one of their key hitters in Arraez.
His playoff availability?
If Philadelphia holds off Arizona, their next task would be a road playoff bout against the Braves, presumably. In 2026, the Braves went 9-4 against Philadelphia in the regular season.
For Arraez’s availability, the typical recovery from a minor ankle sprain takes around a week. However, based on the initial evaluation, Arraez’s sprain doesn’t seem “minor” in any sense.
Mattingly mentioned the possibility of using Arraez off the bench as a pinch-hitter. If he’s able to swing a bat, he can bring value off the bench because of his unique ultra-contact approach.
However, it will be a shock if Arraez is the starting second baseman in the Wild Card series. It’s incredibly unfortunate, but Mattingly and the Phillies will likely have to get creative with Arraez off the bench. That is, if he’s able to swing a bat by next
week.
Today’s re-evaluation may bring fresh news, but for now, it appears that Philly will be missing their .310 hitter.
