The Phillies will open the Wild Card round without Luis Arraez on the roster, a notable hit as they try to get past Atlanta. Manager Don Mattingly told reporters, including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, that Arraez will be left off the playoff group, with infielder Otto Kemp stepping in.
Arraez’s status turned after Thursday’s game, when he left following an obvious on-field injury while trying to avoid a tag on the basepaths. The club later said he had suffered a left ankle sprain.
Philadelphia did not rush him onto the injured list for the last stretch of the regular season, instead waiting to see how the ankle held up after a few days of rest. The fact that he still won’t make the roster suggests the issue is significant enough that the Phillies plan to move through at least one playoff round without him.
If the team keeps advancing, Arraez could potentially come back for later rounds, provided the ankle improves.
For now, though, Philadelphia loses an important deadline addition. The Phillies sent minor leaguers Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair to the Giants to land both Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from San Francisco.
That deal has not paid off much so far. Kilian made four appearances and gave up five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings before landing on the IL with a left oblique strain.
He was later moved to the 60-day IL and cannot be reinstated until next week. Even then, if the Phillies are still alive, they may choose not to bring him back onto the roster.
Arraez’s numbers also dipped after the trade. With the Giants, he hit .324/.360/.440.
After the move, he posted a .278/.309/.369 line. The Phillies’ view of that drop is tempered by the likelihood that it was tied more to luck than anything else.
Arraez owns a career batting average on balls in play of .326, which is above average and fits his line-drive style. His BABIP was .327 with the Giants, but it has fallen to .273 with Philadelphia.
His arrival also forced a defensive shuffle. Arraez took over at second base, moving Bryson Stott to third.
That sent Alec Bohm to first and Bryce Harper back to right field. Over the final three games, while Arraez was sidelined, the Phillies mixed things up again.
Stott returned to second. Bohm and Edmundo Sosa handled third.
Bohm and Harper split time at first, and Bryan De La Cruz got a start in right. A similar setup is expected against Atlanta.
Kemp is the likely bench piece in Arraez’s place, and he comes with limited major league experience. He has appeared in 75 big league games, spent most of this season on optional assignment, and played in only 13 major league contests this year.
At the plate, he hit .080/.148/.080 in 27 plate appearances. His Triple-A line of .227/.334/.402 looks more respectable at first glance, but in this year’s high-offense International League environment it translated to a 95 wRC+.
Kemp does bring defensive flexibility, with experience everywhere except center field and the battery.
Philadelphia is also entering the series with its pitching staff in a tricky spot. Because the club had to fight until the final days to secure a playoff berth, Cristopher Sánchez worked Friday and Zack Wheeler pitched Sunday. Aaron Nola threw on just two days’ rest Saturday and lasted only one inning.
Sánchez is likely to start Game 2 of the series, while Wheeler may not be available until the NLDS. In the opener, Jesús Luzardo will get the ball, according to Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Luzardo just came back from an IL stint tied to shoulder inflammation and threw one inning yesterday. That means Andrew Painter will probably be the bulk pitcher behind him.
In Other News...
Phillies Fans Are Livid And The Backlash Just Got Worse
The decision to rename and sell the Harry the K's deck at Citizens Bank Park already had plenty of Phillies fans on edge, and the reaction only got louder once a social media exchange spilled into public view. The area, long tied to one of the ballpark's familiar fan spots, is now being attached to a corporate sponsor, a move that immediately sparked frustration from a base that tends to notice when something traditional around the park starts to disappear.
Dan Lourenco, the founder of Ghost Energy, did respond to fan criticism after the backlash began, but his comments only added fuel to the fire when they came off as dismissive to many of the people pushing back. For Phillies fans, the issue is bigger than one deck and one branding change, because the whole episode has become a reminder of how quickly a familiar piece of ballpark identity can turn into another corporate fight. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Still Have One Major Game 1 Pitching Decision Left
The Phillies headed into October with one more clean box checked after their final-day win over the Tampa Bay Rays, and Zack Wheeler helped make sure the club got there with momentum. Even with the Wild Card berth secured, the postseason rotation picture is not settled yet, and the staff is still sorting out how to line up the opening stretch of the series.
Game 1 remains the real question. Philadelphia is weighing a bullpen game that could involve Jess Luzardo and Andrew Painter, while Aaron Nola is expected to pitch on short rest and Cristopher Snchez is already lined up for Game 2. It leaves the Phillies with options, but also with a decision that says plenty about how much they trust each path at the start of a short series. [Read more 🡒]
Don Mattinglys Phillies Future Still Depends On One More Statement
After a rocky start to the season, the Phillies have steadied themselves enough to lock up a postseason berth, and Don Mattingly has been a big part of that turnaround. Since taking over as interim manager, he has guided the club to a 79-55 record, giving the front office plenty to weigh as the calendar turns toward October and the questions around the dugout become harder to avoid.
Owner John Middleton has made clear that Mattinglys work has not gone unnoticed, but the next step is not his call. Middleton said the decision on whether to remove the interim tag belongs to executive Dave Dombrowski, which leaves Mattingly in a familiar spot for now: praised publicly, but still waiting on the organizations final statement about his future. [Read more 🡒]