Luis Arraez, seeking a 4th batting title, out with sprained left ankle as Phillies aim for playoffs

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia’s Luis Arraez, who has a narrow lead in his quest for a fourth straight battling title, will not be in the starting lineup when the Phillies take on Tampa Bay Friday night because of a sprained left ankle.

Bryson Stott replaced Arraez at second base in the opener of a three-game series with the Phillies still needing to clinch their fifth straight playoff berth.

Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said ahead of the game that Arraez woke up feeling sore and there was no timetable for his return.

“Luis is a guy that can really, really hit,” Mattingly said. “It’s a blow to your offense. He’s a guy that came in, get his hits. He’s been kind of a stabilizer and kind of mixes our lineup a little bit. A different kind of guy.”

Arraez is a three-time batting champion and leads the National League this season with a .310 batting average, just ahead of Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno at .308.

Arraez was injured after he tried to avoid a tag at first base in the Phillies’ loss to Milwaukee on Thursday night.

Obtained from San Francisco at the trade deadline, Arraez stayed down for a while as trainers tended to him. He eventually hobbled off the field with assistance.

Philadelphia leads Arizona by two games with three to play. The Diamondbacks finish the season at San Diego and own the tiebreaker over the Phillies.

The Phillies could clinch Friday with a win against the Rays and an Arizona loss to San Diego.

If the Phillies avoid a collapse that would place them alongside the 1964 team in franchise infamy, Arraez would have four days to heal before their NL Wild Card Series starts Tuesday.

“You don’t feel great about it because he was so sore this morning,” Mattingly said. “We’ll see in a couple of days. You feel a lot better. You wrap it, you see what happens.”

Stott was the starting second baseman for the bulk of his career since his 2022 rookie season and was moved to third after the Arraez trade. Edmundo Sosa started at third base against the Rays.

Philadelphia sends Cristopher Sánchez (18-6, 2.93 ERA) to the mound Friday against the AL East champion Rays, needing its ace left-hander to calm the nerves inside the clubhouse — and silence the fans who booed the team off the field after its latest loss. The Phillies have lost 12 of 20 headed into Friday’s game.

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“These guys have been through it,” Mattingly said. “I feel OK. If we’ve got to tell guys at this point that it’s urgent that we win games, then we’re in trouble.”

Mattingly also said All-Star left-hander Jesús Luzardo bounced back fine from his bullpen session on Thursday as he tries to return from left shoulder inflammation ahead of a potential playoff series. Luzardo was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 15, three days after he was scratched from a start at Atlanta because of the shoulder the issue.

“I think he’s going to play catch, and we’ll see where it goes,” Mattingly said.

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