Rays All-Star gets benched for Game 3 of the World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays are not messing around as they look to avoid an 0-3 hole in the World Series.

Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda is not in the lineup for Monday’s Game 3 of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Talkin’ Baseball notes that this is the first time that Aranda has been benched during Tampa Bay’s entire 2026 postseason run.

Aranda, 28, has been a crucial piece for the Rays over the last several years. After debuting in 2022, Aranda was an All-Star in 2025 and hit .274 with 22 home runs and 92 RBIs during the 2026 regular season.

The lefty-hitting Aranda had also been doing fairly well up to this point of the playoffs. Aranda currently holds a postseason batting average of .310 with a .788 OPS and blasted a home run in Game 1 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees that proved to be the difference-maker in a 1-0 Rays win.

But Aranda did have a notable miscue during Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday. He let a potential double-play ball go through his legs in the fourth inning, helping the Brewers rally from an early 4-0 deficit to win the game over the Rays by a final score of 5-4.