NL WILD CARD SERIES: MARLINS VS PHILLIES

October 3, 2023

Luis Arraez

Citizens Bank Park

Miami Marlins

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Luis, how are you doing?

LUIS ARRAEZ: Doing amazing. Ready to go.

Q. First off, to be back, after missing the last week, how excited are you to be back in the lineup, and also how is the ankle feeling?

LUIS ARRAEZ: Excited. I'm excited to be a part of the team, especially in the playoffs. I feel great. Not a hundred percent, but I can do a lot of good things tonight.

Q. Are your parents here?

LUIS ARRAEZ: No. When we win here, they go to Braves, Atlanta.

Q. Luis, was there ever a possibility that you wouldn't be playing in this game?

LUIS ARRAEZ: No. No, thank God. If I'm here with one leg, I'll go play with one leg. I need to be there to help my team win.

Q. You've played in the postseason before. What can you take from those experiences into this series?

LUIS ARRAEZ: Nothing's changed. It's more fun, that's better. More loud. We just need to continue to play hard and then compete.

Q. Just the way that you guys played all year, all of the close games, all the one-run wins, all the comebacks, how much do you think just being in those situations during the regular season can help you guys in the playoffs when basically every out, every play, every pitch can make a difference?

LUIS ARRAEZ: We just need to go out there and play. We don't need to change anything. We just need to continue every day and come here and enjoy the game. This is beautiful. This is postseason. Thank God we are here. We just need to keep continuing to play hard.

Q. Luis, there won't be any home games in Miami in this round. How badly do you guys -- obviously you want to advance, but how badly do you want to be able to have a home game in front of your home crowd in Miami?

LUIS ARRAEZ: This is cool. I don't think it's bad because we are here in Philadelphia. So we've got to win first here, go to Atlanta, and then the good thing, we need to keep continuing to play hard and get back to Miami.

Q. How much of a difference has having Jake and Josh in the middle of your lineup been for you guys?

LUIS ARRAEZ: A lot. A lot, especially Josh and Burger. Good teammates, good guys, power hitters. Everybody has been power hitting in the lineup, and we got it. Really good guys. Thank God for those guys, they stay with us.

Q. Luis, with Jesus Luzardo starting on the mound, what has stood out to you about him? You were with him in WBC before. What stood out to you this season and specifically this month, how much he stepped up once Sandy went down?

LUIS ARRAEZ: Just he compete. He compete a lot, and that was the guy we need to put there in coping with Philadelphia. I know Jesus, we throw a lot yesterday. I know he go there and compete, and everything's good with him. Luzardo is an amazing pitcher. He's nasty. I faced him a couple times, and he's nasty.

Q. Nine months ago you get traded to the Marlins, obviously the organization you knew your whole career, the Twins. If we told you you'd make the playoffs batting leadoff in Philly, what would you think?

LUIS ARRAEZ: This is amazing for me, especially the leadoff guy here in Philadelphia. I just want to go there and enjoy the game, try to do the little things to help my team win, and then get on base. So we'll see what happens tonight.