Rays Take a Shocking Decision on 28-Year-Old Star Just Hours Ahead of Brewers Showdown

The Tampa Bay Rays chose to go bold just hours ahead of Game 3, benching a hitter who has been consistently finding ways to get on base. Down 0-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Rays are now walking a fine line between strengthening their defense and sacrificing the offensive firepower they desperately need to stay alive in the series.

Jonathan Aranda had a perfect night at the plate in Game 1, going 3-for-3 with a walk, before adding a double in Game 2. Yet, his costly defensive error in the second game, which contributed to Tampa Bay surrendering an early 4-0 lead, may have overshadowed his contributions with the bat. With the series shifting to Tropicana Field, the Rays’ decision to leave the 28-year-old slugger out of the lineup raises questions about whether one mistake has outweighed his offensive value at the worst possible time.

“Jonathan Aranda is not in the Rays’ World Series Game 3 lineup. It’s the first time Aranda has been benched all postseason, despite having reached base in five of his eight World Series plate appearances,” Talkin Baseball shared via X.

Benching a player who is struggling defensively is nothing new, but Aranda’s offensive value is what makes this decision shocking. Aranda committed a critical fielding error in the 4th inning of Game 2 that directly allowed the Brewers to advance their comeback. With a runner on third base, a routine ground ball hit by David Hamilton skipped cleanly through Aranda’s legs, scoring a run and cutting the Tampa Bay Rays’ lead.

The miscue forced starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen out of the game early and allowed Milwaukee to close the gap to just one run on their way to a 5–4 victory.

Earlier in the 1st inning, Aranda also dropped a foul pop-up off the bat of William Contreras. Given the extra opportunity, Contreras went on to hit an RBI single later in the same at-bat, making it a two-gaffe defensive night for the regular first baseman.

With such a struggle at first base, the Rays benching Aranda seems to be a good call. But what about the Rays’ offense? He finished the 2026 regular season with an impressive .274 batting average and a .358 on-base percentage, establishing himself as the team’s most reliable high-OBP threat.

Moreover, Aranda’s 22 home runs this year are his career high. Yet, his struggle against the lefties may also have contributed to his benching. The Brewers are starting left-hander Robert Gasser in Game 3. But Aranda struggled against left-handed pitching during the regular season, posting a lower .678 OPS against southpaws.

“Gasser’s somebody who’s really difficult on lefties,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. The Rays are playing right-handed slugger Ryan Vilade in his place, probably saving Aranda for a crucial late-game pinch-hitting opportunity against the Brewers’ premier right-handed relievers like Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill.

Hence, the Rays are ensuring a foolproof plan ahead of Game 3, and their roster overhaul didn’t end with benching Aranda.

This is a developing story…

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