The Philadelphia Phillies’ infield, rebuilt around Luis Arraez in August, must be reshuffled. Arraez is the impact bat acquired from the San Francisco Giants, expected to provide offensive stability in the stretch run and the postseason. Yet his latest injury setback has undone the infield adjustments before the playoffs even begin.
The Philadelphia Phillies clinched a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season with a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phillies will play against the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card Series. However, their lineup will
miss a key piece- Luis Arraez, the Phillies’ marquee trade deadline acquisition. Arraez was sidelined after he sprained his ankle last Thursday. On Monday, interim manager Don Mattingly revealed that Arraez will not play in the upcoming Wild Card Series. Talkin’ Baseball also reported the news on X.
“Luis Arraez will not be on the Phillies Wild Card roster after suffering a sprained left ankle last week,” the X handle wrote in the caption.
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During Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Arraez sprained his ankle trying to escape a tag at first base in the sixth inning. Arraez immediately fell, writhing in pain. After a few minutes, he got up and left the field with the help of an athletic trainer.
Following the injury, Arraez did not play for the rest of the regular season. But the Phillies avoided placing him on the 10-day IL, hoping that Arraez’s condition would improve. However, on Sunday, he was wearing a walking boot to protect his sprained left ankle when the Phillies celebrated their postseason-clinching victory at Citizens Bank Park. The following day at Truist Park, Mattingly confirmed that Arraez will not play in the Wild Card Series.
“We still get improvement every day, but not enough,” Mattingly told the reporters, per MLB.com. “He [Arraez] was going to try to hit today and just wasn’t able to do it. So, we kind of crossed that bridge today.”
Otto Kemp replaced Arraez on the 26-man roster. Meanwhile, without Arraez at second base, the Phillies’ infield was shuffled again. Back in August, first baseman Bryce Harper moved to right field, pushing third baseman Alec Bohm to first. Meanwhile, Bryson Stott moved from second to third to accommodate Arraez.
With Arraez not playing, the Phillies mixed up the infield. While Stott moved back to second and Edmundo Sosa manned third base, Bohm and Harper split first-base duties between them. When Harper covered first base, Dylan De La Cruz started in right field.
The Phillies acquired Arraez for a lineup boost, but his production has declined since coming to Philadelphia. The former batting champion is slashing .278/.309/.369 with 21 RBI for the Phillies, a drop from his .324/.360/.440 slash line. His .310 overall batting average is only second to the NL leader, Gabriel Moreno (.311). Though his production has dipped, Arraez’s numbers are still above MLB average.
The Phillies will miss having him in the lineup in the Wild Card Series. However, if his condition improves, he can join the Phillies’ division series lineup if they beat the Braves. Arraez is under a one-year, $12 million contract, and he will become a free agent after the season.
Meanwhile, securing a postseason berth came at a price. They had to use their top starters, including Cristopher Sanchez, Zac Wheeler, and Aaron Nola, during the series against the Rays. So the 2026 All-Star pitcher will take the mound first in Game 1.
Jesus Luzardo to open Wild Card Series against Braves
The NL East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, frequently clashed during the regular season. Head-to-head, the Braves hold the upper hand with a 9-4 record. However, the postseason starts on a clean slate, and anything can happen. For Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, both teams have put their southpaws forward. The Phillies will counter the Braves’ veteran starter Chris Sale (2.16 ERA) with opener Jesus Luzardo (2.86 ERA).
As they secured a postseason berth, none of Sanchez, Nola, or Wheeler is available for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. Wheeler pitched during the season finale; Nola pitched on two days of rest against the Rays; and Sanchez will be fully rested and ready to pitch in Game 2. So Don Mattingly has opted for an opener.
Following his complete-game brilliance against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies placed Luzardo on the 15-day IL due to left shoulder inflammation. The Phillies activated him ahead of the regular-season finale. Coming out of the bullpen, he has thrown only one scoreless inning against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Luzardo holds a 4-4 career record against the Braves with a 2.89 ERA. The left-hander has struck out Braves hitters 79 times in 11 career outings. While Luzardo will open the game, rookie Andrew Painter will come out of the bullpen as a bulk reliever.