Don Mattingly would be ‘a little surprised’ if injured Luis Arraez plays in Rays series

The day after Luis Arraez limped off the field, unable to put weight on his left leg, the report from the Phillies’ training room was summed up with four words.

“Not a great one,” interim manager Don Mattingly said.

An MRI on Friday confirmed the results of an X-ray the night before: Arraez has a sprained left ankle. Mattingly said he didn’t have specifics, including a classification (high or low) or degree of the sprain, but noted that Arraez was “stiff and sore.”

“We’ll see if, over the course of the day, it gets better,” Mattingly said. “See if he’s going to be able to do anything.”

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Arraez was unavailable before Friday night’s series opener against the Rays.

If Arraez got hurt at any other point in the season, the Phillies likely would put him on the 10-day injured list. Doing so now would cause him to miss the three-game wild-card series and leave him ineligible until at least Oct. 5 — or Game 3 of the divisional round.

For now, then, the Phillies will hold off on a roster move. Mattingly said he would be “a little surprised” if Arraez is able to play over the weekend.

“You don’t feel great about it because he was so sore this morning,” he said. “It depends where it goes, but you could also see, in a couple days, if you feel a lot better, you could wrap it and see what happens.

“If it’s something that we know he’s not going to be able to play, then we’re going to have to [make a move]. You don’t want to play short. We’ll just see where it goes. We’ve got to give it a day.”

In Arraez’s absence, Bryson Stott returned to second base and utilityman Edmundo Sosa started at third against the Rays. Mattingly chose to keep Alec Bohm at first base and Bryce Harper in right field.

Arraez was the Phillies’ headline addition at the Aug. 3 trade deadline, coming over from the Giants for two minor leaguers, including 21-year-old pitching prospect Ramon Marquez. The Phillies shuffled three-quarters of their infield to accommodate Arraez at second base.

In 46 games, all in the cleanup spot, Arraez is batting .278 with a .678 OPS for the Phillies. Overall, the three-time batting champion leads the National League with a .310 average, narrowly ahead of Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (.308).

» READ MORE: Batting practice … in a hotel room? It’s part of the ‘routine’ for Luis Arraez, baseball’s most unique hitter

“Obviously Luis is a guy who can really, really hit, so it’s a blow to your offense,” Mattingly said. “He’s a guy that’s come in and got his hits. He’s been a kind of stabilizer, kind of mixes our lineup up a little bit. He’s a different kind of guy, so I think any time you lose a guy that’s hitting .300, getting on base, that type of thing, it hurts you.”

Said shortstop Trea Turner: “He’s kind of locked down that four hole for us and just kept the line moving. Whether people are on or he’s leading off, it feels like he’s making us a lot better. And the defense has been really good, too. So, I think that’s going to be a little bit of a blow.”

In more encouraging Phillies injury news, Jesús Luzardo didn’t report any problems with his left shoulder after throwing a bullpen session Thursday. He played catch in the outfield.

The Phillies are aiming for Luzardo to face hitters over the weekend, likely in a simulated game setting, to get him ready for the postseason.

One potential snag: It’s supposed to rain all weekend.

Mattingly said the Phillies have discussed contingencies, including finding an indoor space for Luzardo to face hitters. Luzardo hasn’t pitched in a game since a 109-pitch shutout of the Braves on Sept. 7.

» READ MORE: Dave Dombrowski: ‘Better to wait until our season is complete’ before deciding on Don Mattingly’s future

“I don’t know if it’s a must,” Mattingly said, “but it would still be nice.”

Meanwhile, rain could play havoc with the Phillies’ final two regular-season games against the Rays, especially given the stakes. Entering play Friday, the Phillies needed any combination of two wins or Diamondbacks losses to clinch a playoff spot. Seeding was also up for grabs.

But while MLB preemptively scheduled doubleheaders Friday in Boston (Cubs-Red Sox) and New York (Orioles-Yankees), no such plans were made in Philadelphia.

“I guess it’s just coming further north,” Mattingly said. “But yeah, I heard there’s some [rain] coming.”

Depending on the stakes, veteran lefty Nestor Cortes “could be” called up to eat innings over the weekend, Mattingly said. The Phillies took a flier on Cortes in August. The 31-year-old posted a 4.76 ERA over 5⅔ innings in triple A. He’s among a group of players who are participating in the Phillies’ “stay ready” camp in Allentown. ... The Phillies haven’t named a starter for Saturday night, though recently acquired righty José Urquidy (2-2, 4.54 ERA) is expected to pitch multiple innings as part of a bullpen game. Right-hander Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.62) is scheduled to start for the Rays.

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