Luis Arraez returns to Giants’ lineup on Sunday

The Phillies will be mixing things all up to accommodate Arraez, with Bryson Stott moving to third, Alec Bohm going to first and Bryce Harper returning to the outfield for the first time since elbow surgery. It’s probably worth it to add Arraez to the lineup, though it would have been cheaper in prospect cost just to add an outfielder and keep the infield as it was. Arraez, a free agent at season’s end, should get a little value boost in Philly, though the ballpark upgrade probably doesn’t make much of a difference here like it would with a more traditional power hitter. The Giants will give Nate Furman and Osleivis Barabe looks at second base for now.

Arraez is continuing to do what he’s always done and hit, slashing .324/.360/.440 on the season for the Giants with four home runs, 52 runs scored, and 10 steals. What’s new this year is that he’s playing tremendous defense at second base. Which begs the question of what’s next for the Phillies? The Phillies have Bryson Stott at second base, Bryce Harper at first base, and Kyle Schwarber at DH, so there don’t seem to be any openings for Arraez. They could opt to move Bryce Harper back to the outfield, or perhaps Stott or third baseman Alec Bohm will be headed somewhere else today.

Heyman notes that the Rays have expressed interest as well, which was noted by independent journalist Francys Romero earlier in the week. The 29-year-old continues to shine for the Giants, slashing .328/.364/.446 with four homers, 43 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 459 plate appearances. It’s looking increasingly likely that he’ll be packing his bags and moving to a new destination soon.

Assuming that he’s not traded before then, Arraez apparently will play second base against the Padres. He left Friday’s game and didn’t play Saturday because of leg cramps.

Arraez was set to return to the lineup against the Padres after leaving Friday’s game due to the cramp, but the Giants will give the 29-year-old another day off. It’s very likely that Arraez is going to be traded before the deadline, so it’s possible that he’s played his final game with San Francisco.

It would be stunning if Arraez, who will hit free agency in the offseason, wasn’t on the move prior to next week’s trade deadline. All nine Rotoworld staffers surveyed for our annual trade deadline preview column picked Arraez as the most likely player to be dealt. He’s showed some real improvement as a defender at second base in his Giants debut, while also hitting .328 with four homers and 10 steals in 459 plate appearances over 104 games. He was lifted from Friday’s game against the Pirates for precautionary reasons with leg cramps. It would be surprising if he didn’t end up somewhere in the AL East.

We kind of figured it was just because of the score, but Arraez was dealing with a leg issue. He’s expected to be traded prior to Monday’s lineup, but he still could be back in the starting lineup on Saturday.

Arraez lined out in his first at-bat before collecting four straight singles for his 24th career four-hit game and second of this season. He has three career five-hit games, all of which came in a 17-day span with the Marlins in June 2023. Arraez is now back in first place in the majors in average, with his .331 mark leading Otto Lopez at .329 and Yordan Alvarez at .325. He also recorded a steal today, making him 10-for-10 there this year. He was 31-for-48 over his first seven seasons.

Christian Koss is starting at second base. For now, we’ll just assume this is a rare day off for Arraez. Unlike the rest of his teammates, he didn’t get a real break while making his way to Philadelphia last week.

Arraez, who is on a one-year, $12 million deal with the Giants, has no say on if and where he’ll be traded. Fortunately, though, he’s played well enough at second base this year that he most likely will go to a team that wants to keep him there. The Rays are an obvious fit, and he’d also be an upgrade for a couple of his former clubs in Minnesota and San Diego.