Luis Arraez Injury Update: Latest News On Phillies Infielder

Arraez suffered an injury during the Phillies’ 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. It occurred when he was running to first base and appeared to get his leg caught up under him, twisting his ankle in the wrong position. He left the field with a trainer, noticeably limping through the dugout into the clubhouse.

The Phillies provided an initial statement indicating the injury was an ankle sprain and that X-rays came back clean. Now that a day has gone by, the Phillies and Manager Don Mattingly provided some more clarification on what is happening with Arraez.

Philadelphia did not place Arraez on the IL before Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, but he was not included in the lineup. Mattingly spoke with the media before the game and said that the news they received about Arraez was not great. They will keep him on the active roster for now, but that could change if there aren’t improvements.

The Phillies are hoping Arraez could potentially contribute as a pinch hitter later in the series, but his availability remains uncertain. Arraez is still sore, Mattingly said, and he is getting treatment for what is being called a left ankle sprain. The Phillies will be without their cleanup hitter for the time being.

How Luis Arraez’s Injury Impacts The Phillies

Arraez has changed the entire outlook of the Phillies lineup since coming over from the San Francisco Giants at the MLB trade deadline. He has played 46 games for Philadelphia, hitting .278 with 21 RBIs since joining the team. He has filled the void behind Bryce Harper in the Phillies lineup very well, but his ability at the plate isn’t the only thing that has helped the Phillies since he arrived.

The protection Arraez provides for Harper has changed his season and approach at the plate. Harper went on a career-long on-base streak that aligned with the Arraez trade, and he began walking and reaching base at an elite level. Harper leads the NL in walks and is second only to Yordan Alvarez in the entire MLB.

Arraez is battling for his fourth batting title this season, hitting .310 on the year between the Giants and Phillies. Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno is the biggest threat, sitting at a .308 batting average with three games left. If Arraez misses the rest of the season, he could lose out on another batting title.

Philadelphia Phillies Postseason Push And Scenarios

The Phillies are right in the middle of a playoff battle for the third and final wild card spot in the National League. The Diamondbacks sit just two games behind with three games left for each team. The Phillies take on the Rays for their final series, while the Diamondbacks will travel to San Diego to take on the Padres.

The Diamondbacks have the advantage of momentum heading into the battle for a postseason berth; they have won their last five games, while the Phillies have gone 2-4 in their last six and have just eight wins in their last 20 games.

The Phillies have a magic number of two going into the final series. They can clinch a postseason berth tonight if they defeat the Rays and the Diamondbacks lose to the Padres. They will have Cristopher Sanchez on the mound with the hopes of gaining some momentum heading into the most important games of the season.

The Phillies will need to put this away as quickly as possible to preserve their rotation for the Wild Card round. Zack Wheeler may have to pitch on Sunday if they haven’t clinched a spot yet, taking him out of the opening round of the postseason.