Phillies leave Luis Arráez off Wild Card roster because of ankle sprain

The Phillies will open their National League Wild Card Series against the Braves without Luis Arráez. Manager Don Mattingly said Monday that the second baseman will be left off the best-of-three roster while he recovers from a sprained left ankle. Otto Kemp is taking his place, and Philadelphia plans to carry three catchers. The series starts Tuesday in Atlanta.

Arráez was injured trying to avoid a tag at first base against Milwaukee late last week. He did not return for the final regular-season series, though the club had hoped he could be ready for the postseason. MLB reported Monday that he still had not taken a swing since the injury. That made a short series difficult to manage: an unavailable position player would leave the Phillies with one less bench option for games that could decide their season by Thursday.

Philadelphia loses a central contact bat. Arráez hit .310 across the season and .278 after joining the Phillies from San Francisco at the trade deadline, according to PhillyVoice. He had been the club’s cleanup hitter, so Mattingly must decide both how to cover second base and who will hit in that part of the order. Bryson Stott has been playing second in Arráez’s absence, while Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper have also shifted defensive spots. Tuesday’s official lineup will establish the actual Game 1 arrangement.

Kemp gives Philadelphia another position player, but he is a replacement on the roster, not a like-for-like substitute for Arráez’s batting profile. The club’s decision to keep three catchers also limits how many other bench bats it can carry. In a three-game series, those choices can matter as soon as the first pinch-hit or defensive substitution.

The Phillies had already named Jesús Luzardo for Game 1. His start now comes with a changed lineup behind him and no guarantee Arráez can return during this round. If Philadelphia advances, the club can reassess his ankle for the next series; his omission from the Wild Card roster does not establish a timetable beyond it. For now Mattingly’s available group must win two games against Atlanta without a hitter the Phillies acquired to strengthen their October offense.