Luis Arraez was a massive trade deadline acquisition for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The lefty contact hitter was brought aboard from the San Francisco Giants to bolster the Phillies’ lineup.
He actually was so effective at putting the ball in play and bringing runners around the bases that Phillies manager Don Mattingly was batting him fourth, in the cleanup spot, behind some big-time power hitters atop the order.
Despite that, Arraez isn’t there to help the Phillies as the postseason gets underway on Tuesday.
Philadelphia is playing in Atlanta in the best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Braves. Arraez is not, though.
Why Isn’t Luis Arraez Playing Today?
Arraez isn’t playing against the Braves because he has a sprained left ankle.
The veteran hurt it last Thursday, Sept. 24, while running on the bases.
The Phillies left him off of the NL Wild Card Series roster.
Otto Kemp, a utility player, is on the roster for this series in Arraez’s place.
“We still get improvement every day, but not enough,” Mattingly told reporters on Monday about Arraez. “He was going to try to hit today and just wasn’t able to do it. So, we kind of crossed that bridge today.”
As of that Monday press conference with Mattingly, Arraez hadn’t yet swung a bat since getting hurt.
Arraez had a boot on his foot during Sunday’s Phillies celebrations after they clinched their playoff spot.
When is Luis Arraez Coming Back?
Arraez won’t be eligible to play against the Braves in the Wild Card Series since he was left off the roster.
That means that he can only play if the Phillies win the best-of-three series in Atlanta.
At that point, the Phillies would get the chance to name a Divisional Series roster, and they can make swaps, which would allow Arraez back into the mix if he’s ready.
Arraez has been solid since coming to Philadelphia. He’s batted .278 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 21 RBI in 46 games.
He had been hitting .324 with the Giants before the trade.
Arraez also took big strides to improve defensively at second base this season, although a sprained ankle seems like it could hamper his cause in the field.
At this point, it’s not clear what the Phillies can expect from Arraez in the postseason. Without him, Edmundo Sosa and Bryson Stott both start in the infield (along with the usual Trea Turner and Alec Bohm).
It had to be exciting for Arraez to be traded to a playoff team from the struggling Giants. You can bet he’s trying to heal up while rooting for his teammates to advance to the next round and get him a chance to get onto the field.
Why Luis Arraez Isn’t Playing Today for Phillies With Injury News