Rays All-Star Jonathan Aranda Out With Fractured Wrist, Hopeful For 2025 Return

Jonathan Aranda is an All-Star and a critical piece of the Tampa Bay Rays attack. He suffered a fractured left wrist on Thursday in New York, and will miss at least three weeks. Here's his interview, and what teammates are saying about replacing him.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda has a fractured left wrist and will miss a minimum of three weeks. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

TAMPA, Fla. — There was a lot of frustration during the first three years of Jonathan Aranda's major-league career. The first baseman just couldn't stay healthy, never playing more than 44 games from 2022 to 2024.

But this year, he's emerged into an All-Star. He played in his 103rd game on Thursday in New York, and he's batting .312 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs.

But now he's been bit by the injury bug again. He came up the line to field a throw against the Yankees, and when he tagged Giancarlo Stanton coming up the line, he wound up fracturing his wrist. He met with the media on Friday with a brace on his wrist and hand, and said he can't use his left hand for three weeks.

More imaging will be done then, and he's hopeful he can return soon after. It could have been worse. The fracture is small and no surgery is needed.

“I’m hoping that I can come back,'' Aranda said through translator Eddie Rodriguez. "I’m going to wait that time, and then come back and help my team. The news I got is positive. It’s nothing catastrophic. As long as I can do all my rehab, I’ll be fine.''

Aranda said he feared the worst on Thursday when it happened. So he's somewhat relieved that it was worse.

“Yes (I was scared), because it’s something I’ve never felt before. It was very painful,'' Aranda said. "Those plays, usually you have time to tag the runner and flip over and avoid colliding with the runner. I have never felt that before, so that was scary, but the news I got today is very encouraging.’’

Finding replacements at first base

Yandy Diaz, who's played a lot of first base during his Rays career, gets the start there on Friday night when the Rays start a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rays manager Kevin Cash said they'll look at other options as well.

“I think that’s pretty good news considering what we saw yesterday,'' Cash said of the Aranda injury. "Let’s see how the bone heals, and get some new imaging in about three weeks. We’ll continue to be optimistic. 

“I think right now, Yandy is playing there today. I really appreciate Brandon Lowe saying ‘I can go in there’ yesterday. Obviously it’s been very busy (at the Thursday trade deadline), but we’ll need to have some internal conversations about his, too. ''  

The Rays have been inconsistent all season offensively, and Aranda is a key part of the attack. He was one of four Rays All-Stars this year — Lowe, Drew Rasmussen and Junior Caminero were the others — and his left-handed bat will be missed.

“I mean, he’s an All-Star, so sure (his absence is going to have a big impact),'' fellow All-Star Rasmussen said. "I don’t have enough good things that I can say about Johnny Aranda, and not only on the field, but in person as well. You guys (the media) have had a chance to build a relationship with him as well, and he’s great. Both in the clubhouse and on the field, he’s going to be missed for sure,

"Filling the production he provides is going to be difficult. I don’t think there’s any way to sugar coat it or beat around the bush. We wish him well and hope he gets well soon. There’s going to be some challenges, and we’ll need some guys to step up and fill some of that production that will be missed, but I do think we have the talent in this locker room to do that.’’

Rays fading in wild-card race

The Rays are 54-56 right now, and 10 games out of the American League race with 52 games to go. They are four games out in the wild-card race — Seattle has the third spot, just behind the Yankees and Red Sox — and several other teams have passed them during this slide, where they just went 1-5 on the road at Cincinnati and New York.

Right now, Texas, Cleveland and Kansas City are all in front of them as well. Playing the defending champs won't be easy, starting with Friday's 7:35 p.m. ET game. Then the Rays are back on the road for 12 games in 14 days out west, the longest road trip of the season for any MLB team.

They were active at the trade deadline, and feel like they're still in the race.

"We need to start playing better baseball. That was a bad month,'' Cash said of their 7-18 July. "I'm excited that the (new) guys are in here. I just want to see us get back to our strengths, throwing strikes and controlling the count.''

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