Luis

Arraez

This is not a major surprise after Arraez sprained his ankle just this week. Phillies manager Don Mattingly said, “We still get improvement every day, but not enough. He was going to try to hit today and just wasn’t able to do it. So, we kind of crossed that bridge today.” There’s a chance that Arraez will be able to return for the NLDS, but, for now, Triple-A Lehigh Valley utility player Otto Kemp will take Arraez’s place on the roster. The Phillies figure to move Bryson Stott back to second base, but it remains to be seen if they move Alec Bohm back to third and Bryce Harper to first or if they just insert Edmundo Sosa into the lineup at third base.

It’s the third straight game that Arraez has missed since suffering a left ankle sprain earlier in the week. It’s possible that he could be available off the bench if needed in a near must-win game for the Phillies on Sunday. Bryson Stott will again slide over and cover second base while Edmundo Sosa starts at third base and will bat seventh for the Phillies.

Arraez will sit out his second straight contest after suffering a left ankle sprain earlier this week. It’ll be Bryson Stott taking over once against the keystone in his absence. The contact-oriented 29-year-old’s status for next week’s potential NL Wild Card Series matchup appears to be in serious jeopardy. Of course, the Phillies need to hold off the Diamondbacks this weekend if they’re going to punch their ticket to the postseason.

The Phillies haven’t provided any updates on his status yet, but the fact that he hasn’t been placed on the injured list leaves hope that they expect him to return for the NLDS, even if he misses the final weekend of the regular season. His availability will ultimately depend on how much he’s able to improve over the next few days.

That’s certainly encouraging. He’ll be reevaluated on Friday to determine his availability for the weekend and the postseason. All fantasy managers and Phillies’ fans can do now is wait and hope for the best. Expect another update on his status on Friday afternoon.

Arrez was trying to avoid a collision with Jake Bauers while running to first base when he stepped awkwardly and went down in a heap. He had to be helped off the field and was unable to put any weight on his left leg. He’ll head for further evaluation. There’s definitely concern that he won’t be ready for the Wild Card series and could be looking at an extended absence.

Arraez hasn’t given the Phillies much of a lift with his .283/.314/.376 line in 45 games with the team, but what really matters is how he performs in October. He’s also still currently in line to win the NL batting title, though he dropped to .312 tonight. He hadn’t finished a game that low since May 14. Gabriel Moreno (.307) and Otto Lopez (.304) have the best chance of catching him.

He broke up Cristian Javier’s no-hitter in the fifth inning and came around to score on a Bryson Stott fielder’s choice. Arraez is hitting .298/.317/.397 since joining the Phillies with two homers and no stolen bases, but he has managed 15 RBI while mostly hitting out of the four hole.

The Phillies will get Arraez a breather with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi taking the mound for the Angels. Bryson Stott will slide over and cover second base while Edmundo Sosa draws a start at third base and will bat fifth for the Phillies.

Arraez is at second base and hitting cleanup after missing Sunday’s series finale against the Cardinals with a lower-body issue. The contact-oriented 29-year-old is batting .311 (23-for-74) with two homers and 11 RBI in 18 games since coming over from the Giants at the trade deadline.