With the Arizona Diamondbacks just 2 games behind and just three games remaining in the regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies can hardly afford another setback. Yet their loss against the Milwaukee Brewers brought exactly that while Luis Arráez went down with an ankle injury, trying to avoid a tag at first base. The infielder couldn’t even put pressure on his left leg and needed help getting off the field. As the Phillies are waiting for clarity on the injury, it only added another layer of uncertainty to their already tense playoff race.
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Philadelphia entered Thursday’s game with the series leveled. They were in dire need of a win to clinch a playoff spot. And with the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 6th, the $12-million star was trying to put his team ahead. Arráez grounded an 88-mph sinker off reliever Aaron Ashby. As it went toward second base, he started sprinting. Brewers SS Cooper Pratt grabbed it cleanly and threw it to first base. But Jake Bauers had to step off the bag to catch it, and Arráez moved to the right to avoid him.
He went past the base and quickly turned to touch it again. The first-base umpire ruled him safe, but the way the 29-year-old grabbed his leg immediately raised concerns. He was on the ground on his back and unable to get up. Manager Don Mattingly and the athletic trainer rushed to the spot to check on him.
“The home plate umpire is coming up and saying that he’s out of the baseline. But the concern now is more about Arráez and what he did to get out of the way,” the broadcast booth said, per the Foul Territory clip.
Mattingly was seen having a conversation with the official while the athletic trainer was pressing on different parts of Luis’ leg to identify the exact spot it was hurting. At one point, he even jumped up a little and grabbed the trainer’s arm as if he had touched a raw nerve in there.
It was his ankle that was hurting. The trainer kept pressing on different spots around it to get a better idea of the depth of the injury. Arráez eventually got up and was leaning on the shoulder of the trainer. He couldn’t even get off the field on his own. He moved away slowly, limping on one foot with some help.
Upon reaching the dugout, he shouted at Dan Merzel at home plate, saying he was safe at first base. But the decision was out. And he left the game to go for an X-ray as Alexander Sosa replaced him in the next inning.
Mattingly later updated that the X-ray came back negative. The interim manager was asked about his availability for the upcoming games.
“We’ll know more tomorrow,” he said. “I’m hopeful that he can play, but we’ll see. We’ll see where it goes.”
But the setback with the infielder isn’t the only concern for Philadelphia.
Phillies’ playoff picture makes Arráez’s status even more critical
The game remained tied till the 7th inning. But in the 8th, the Brewers added 3 more runs on the scoreboard. Philadelphia had no answer to that. Plus, they allowed a home run to Jackson Chourio in the 9th. Milwaukee won the game 5-1 and secured the series.
It was a routine triumph for the Brewers as they had already secured the NL Central top spot. But the win was their 100th of this season. The Phillies, on the other hand, are inside the Wild Card bracket with three games to go in the regular season. The San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs ahead of them, but the Arizona Diamondbacks are just 2 games behind them, and they have 3 games remaining as well. that means their playoff situation is still hanging by a thread.
Luis Arráez signed a 1-year, $12 million deal with the San Francisco Giants before joining the Phillies at the trade deadline. He has been a key player for the organization. He is batting at .278 and has already recorded 21 RBIs from 46 games. Bryce Harper even moved to the outfield to make room for the slugger. And he termed him “the Sprinkler” for his ability to hit the ball all around the ballpark.
So, losing Arráez at such a crucial point can’t be good for the Phillies. And if they make it to the postseason, the infielder’s participation would be all the more necessary for them.