The Tampa Bay Rays chose to go bold just hours ahead of Game 3, benching a hitter who has been consistently finding ways to get on base. Down 0-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Rays are now walking a fine line between strengthening their defense and sacrificing the offensive firepower they desperately need to stay alive in the series.

Jonathan Aranda had a perfect night at the plate in Game 1, going 3-for-3 with a walk, before adding a double in Game 2. Yet, his costly defensive error in the second game, which contributed to Tampa Bay surrendering an early 4-0 lead, may have overshadowed his contributions with the bat. As a result, Aranda reached base in 5 of 8 World Series plate appearances, yet sits Game 3.

“Jonathan Aranda is not in the Rays’ World Series Game 3 lineup. It’s the first time Aranda has been benched all postseason, despite having reached base in five of his eight World Series plate appearances,” Talkin Baseball shared via X.

Benching a player who is struggling defensively is nothing new, but Aranda’s offensive value is what makes this decision shocking. Aranda committed a critical fielding error in the 4th inning of Game 2 that directly allowed the Brewers to advance their comeback. With a runner on third base, a routine ground ball hit by David Hamilton skipped cleanly through Aranda’s legs, scoring a run and cutting the Tampa Bay Rays’ lead.

The miscue forced starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen out of the game early and allowed Milwaukee to close the gap to just one run on their way to a 5–4 victory.

Earlier in the 1st inning, Aranda also dropped a foul pop-up off the bat of William Contreras. Given the extra opportunity, Contreras went on to hit an RBI single later in the same at-bat, making it a two-gaffe defensive night for the regular first baseman.

With such a struggle at first base, the Rays benching Aranda seems to be a good call. But what about the Rays’ offense? He finished the 2026 regular season with an impressive .274 batting average and a .358 on-base percentage, establishing himself as the team’s most reliable high-OBP threat.

Moreover, Aranda’s 22 home runs this year are his career high. Yet, his struggle against the lefties may also have contributed to his benching. The Brewers are starting left-hander Robert Gasser in Game 3. But Aranda struggled against left-handed pitching during the regular season, posting a lower .678 OPS against southpaws.

“Gasser’s somebody who’s really difficult on lefties,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. The Rays are playing right-handed slugger Ryan Vilade in his place, probably saving Aranda for a crucial late-game pinch-hitting opportunity against the Brewers’ premier right-handed relievers like Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill.

Hence, the Rays are ensuring a foolproof plan ahead of Game 3, and their roster overhaul didn’t end with benching Aranda.

The Rays’ roster overhaul went beyond Aranda

Catcher Liam Hicks is also benched ahead of Game 3. Hicks is a left-handed batter. Rays manager Kevin Cash opted to start right-handed catcher Nick Fortes instead to exploit the traditional platoon advantage against a southpaw starter.

Despite struggling at times during the postseason, Hicks had just blasted a historic two-run home run in Game 2, becoming the first Canadian catcher ever to hit a home run in the World Series.

However, same as Aranda, Hicks’ struggle against the lefties may have costed his place in the lineup. This year, he recorded a .504 OPS against lefties in 104 at-bats with just one home run. By contrast, he had an .883 OPS with 17 HRs and a .309 average against righties.

Nick Fortes is taking Hicks’ place, and the Rays just ensured no probable hiccups against the Brewers’ starter. Their decisions would still be shocking, considering how their offense may have been affected.