The Phillies will head into the Wild Card Series without Luis Arraez, after manager Don Mattingly said Monday that the infielder won’t be on the roster because of an ankle injury suffered this week.
Mattingly made the announcement during his press conference, and the move leaves Philadelphia thinner on the position-player side than it would like. Arraez was added at the trade deadline, and while his bat hasn’t taken over since the deal, he has still been an important part of a lineup that has leaned heavily on Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
He’s also been the only other everyday regular in the Phillies lineup with an OPS above .736. Arraez is hitting .310 across 151 games this season between the Giants and Phillies.
Otto Kemp will replace him on the Wild Card Series roster. Kemp has played in just 13 games this year and is hitting .080 with a .228 OPS.
Mattingly also said All-Star starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo will start Game 1. How long he stays in the game is still unclear, though, because he hasn’t started since throwing a complete-game shutout against the Braves on September 7. Luzardo did appear out of the Phillies bullpen on Sunday, but the expectation is that he’ll likely be asked for only 2-3 innings.
Even with Arraez out and the lineup depth looking shaky, the Phillies still bring a pitching staff that can make life hard in October, along with enough star power in the order to be dangerous in a short series.
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Phillies Wild Card Decision Just Changed A Potential Braves Threat
The Phillies late-season push got a small but meaningful twist at the roster deadline, and it matters for the Braves because Philadelphias new infield piece will not be available for the NL Wild Card round. Luis Arraez, acquired at the 2026 trade deadline, had given the Phillies another bat to work with down the stretch, but an ankle injury suffered late in the season knocked him out of the opening series against Atlanta.
Otto Kemp has taken Arraezs spot on the roster, while Philadelphia is carrying three catchers as injuries have thinned out some of its other options. Arraezs postseason status is still unsettled beyond the first round, with a possible return if the Phillies get through to the NLDS, so the Braves know the matchup has already shifted once and could shift again if this series extends. [Read more 🡒]
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The Braves were already facing a high-stakes opener in Philadelphia, where every pitch figures to matter, and the umpiring assignment only adds to the unease. Merzel has also recently run into trouble with the Phillies side after ejecting a coach, which only sharpens the sense that this is not the most comfortable pairing for a game with so much on the line. [Read more 🡒]