Rays Bench Aranda and Hicks as They Seek a Come-back in Game 3

For the Monday night Game 3 at Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash removed left-handed third-baseman Jonathan Aranda and left-handed catcher Liam Hicks from the starting lineup. In their stead, right-handed first-baseman Ryan Vilade and right-handed catcher Nick Fortes will start. The change aligns the batting order with the handedness of Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser, a left-handed pitcher whose regular-season splits favored right-handed hitters.

Newsweek

The Rays trail the Milwaukee Brewers 0-2 in the best-of-seven World Series. Aranda had been productive in the Fall Classic, going 3-for-3 with a walk in Game 1 and 1-for-4 with a double in Game 2. Hicks posted a .504 OPS against left-handed pitchers during the regular season. Both players contributed to the Rays’ early-season success, but the team now faces a deficit that forces a more aggressive platoon approach.

Heavy

Newsweek notes that Gasser limited left-handed hitters to a .552 OPS in the regular season, while right-handed batters posted a .765 OPS. Aranda’s career split shows a .250/.337/.341 line against lefties and a .471 OPS against righties. Hicks, over 104 left-handed at-bats, recorded a .504 OPS, compared with a .883 OPS versus righties. By contrast, Vilade’s season numbers against left-handed pitching were a .341 on-base percentage and a .477 slugging percentage, and Fortes is regarded more for defensive value than offensive output. The statistical contrast underpins Cash’s decision to favor right-handed batters against Gasser.

Newsweek

Gasser entered Game 3 after posting a 1-run total over nine postseason innings, including a five-inning scoreless outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Milwaukee’s left-handed specialist has historically suppressed left-handed hitters, a factor the Rays hope to exploit with their right-handed adjustments. On the mound for Tampa Bay, ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta carries a sub-1.00 ERA this postseason and has thrived at Tropicana Field, where his four-seam fastball gains extra movement. Analysts anticipate a “pitchers’ duel” lasting roughly five innings, with Peralta’s durability and Gasser’s left-handed dominance setting the tone.

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ESPN commentators have highlighted a pattern of defensive miscues and “un-Rays-like” errors in the first two games, citing Aranda’s grounder at first, a dropped fly ball, and a throw-out at home involving Hicks. They argue the Rays have leaned too heavily into “reckless” aggression, sacrificing the clean-baseball approach that carried them to the Series. Limited use of relievers Bryan Baker and Cam Booser—Baker never exceeding one inning and Booser limited to 17 pitches all postseason—has also been cited as a vulnerability that could force Peralta and later starter Griffin Jax to exceed their typical workload.

ESPN

While the lineup change is rooted in platoon statistics, the long-term impact on the Rays’ bullpen depth and defensive stability is uncertain. No official statement has addressed whether Aranda or Hicks might re-enter the game as left-handed pinch-hitters later, leaving the “when and how” of a potential left-handed counter-move to Gasser open. The effectiveness of the Rays’ small-ball tactics—bunts, sacrifice hits, and aggressive base running—has produced mixed results, and analysts differ on whether these will generate the early runs they need.

USA Today

The Rays now face a pivotal test: can the statistical advantage of a right-handed lineup translate into enough offense to offset defensive lapses and a potentially overtaxed bullpen, or will Milwaukee’s left-handed pitching and relentless offense continue to dictate the series?

USA Today