Luis Arraez suffered an ankle injury on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Brewers and was on the ground in pain afterward.
He exited the game, and it was revealed that his X-rays were negative and that he has an ankle sprain. With the postseason starting on Tuesday and the Phillies fighting for a spot, his status is unclear. While speaking to reporters, interim manager Don Mattingly revealed he is unsure what Arraez's status is moving forward, but he is hopeful he will return.
"I'm hopeful that he's going to play, but we'll see," Mattingly said to reporters after the game, per 97.5 The Fanatic's Colin Newby. "We'll see where it goes."
Arraez was the Phillies' big acquisition at the trade deadline. He is having a career year defensively and has been an elite hitter for his entire career. The Phillies moved Alec Bohm to first base, Bryce Harper to right field and Bryson Stott to third base to accommodate Arraez, but now they are at risk of missing the postseason. The typical recovery time for an ankle sprain would indicate that he will at least miss the Wild Card Series, but the team will further evaluate him on Friday, per Mattingly.
The Phillies still have a two-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot, but without Arraez, things are not looking great. Arraez's batting average has taken a hit since he joined the Phillies, as he is only hitting .278 with a .678 OPS. However, he is still on pace to win his fourth career batting title.
Losing him for the final series could cost the Phillies a postseason spot, and not having him for the Wild Card Series could have an extremely negative impact on their offense. He has 21 RBIs in 46 games with the Phillies and has a .778 OPS this season with runners in scoring position.