Story by
Rays change World Series lineup, remove slugger who made critical error in Game 2
- Story by
- Rays change World Series lineup, remove slugger who made critical error in Game 2
The Tampa Bay Rays announced their lineup for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday, Oct. 26, and it came with a twist: no Jonathan Aranda.
Aranda won't start against the Milwaukee Brewers two days after he made a pair of gaffes in the field in the Rays' loss to the Brewers in Game 2.
Advertisement
Tampa Bay hosts its first game of the World Series later Monday, looking to erase a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series.
MORE: Brewers' Aaron Ashby breaks Yankee pitcher's 45-year-old record in World Series
Aranda hit 22 home runs in the regular season, making him a much-needed source of power for the more contact-oriented Rays lineup. But Ryan Vilade, a right-handed hitter, will get the start against Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser.
Aranda committed an error in the fourth inning of Game 2 that led to directly to a Brewers run, when a routine ground ball got through his legs with a runner on third base.
In the first inning, Aranda dropped a foul pop-up off the bat of William Contreras. When Contreras poked an opposite-field single into the outfield in the same at-bat, Milwaukee had its first run.
MORE: Junior Caminero explodes in Rays' dugout after Chandler Simpson's miscue
Advertisement
Aranda, 28, made the American League All-Star team for the first time in 2025. In 2026, he set career highs with 22 home runs and 92 RBIs while slashing .274/.358/.434.
Aranda was 4-for-7 with a walk across Games 1 and 2 of the World Series.
Vilade, 27, slashed .245/.321/.429 in 96 games for the Rays during the regular season and was typically platooned against right-handed pitching. He's 1 for 7 with a home run in the American League Division Series round in October.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
