The Rays have left first baseman Jonathan Aranda and catcher Liam Hicks out of the lineup for World Series Game 3 against Milwaukee at Tropicana Field. Yahoo Sports framed it as a shake-up by a team facing a 2-0 deficit. Sportsnet's report confirms that both players are out.
The Aranda detail comes from a post by /u/T_Raycroft on r/baseball's Talkin' Baseball thread, so we can't verify it independently. The post says this is the first time Aranda has been benched all postseason, even though he had reached base in five of his eight World Series plate appearances. None of the three items we have says why the changes were made, and none quotes a Rays decision-maker. We also don't have the full lineup, so we can't say who replaces either player.
Aranda was in the lineup for the Rays' 10-1 loss at home on Monday, Oct. 26, and he made the last out, grounding to second. Tampa Bay had three hits in that game, and Milwaukee scored eight runs in the fifth inning. In the previous game, a 5-4 loss at Milwaukee on Oct. 24, Aranda went 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts. The Rays scored all four of their runs in the first inning and didn't score again.
Tue, Oct 27, 8:00 PM ET
The regular-season numbers show why this is a notable decision. Aranda hit .274 with 22 home runs, 92 RBI and a .792 OPS over 155 games. Hicks hit .284 with 18 homers, 82 RBI and a .801 OPS in 142 games. Hicks's OPS was slightly higher than Aranda's, and both were regulars on a club that went 98-64 and won the AL East. The Rays are on a one-game losing streak, and their last win was 7-3 over Cleveland on Oct. 19.
Tampa Bay faces a deficit it has to overcome at home. Game 3 is Tuesday, Oct. 27, and the Rays also host the Brewers on Oct. 28. The Series then goes back to Milwaukee on Oct. 30. The reporting doesn't say whether Aranda or Hicks will be back in the lineup for Game 4.
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