PHILADELPHIA – Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto left Saturday night’s game because of tightness in his lower back.
“We’re checking on him now,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said following a 3-1 loss to the Braves. “I doubt he’ll play tomorrow.”
Thomson said Realmuto first tweaked his back in the second inning of Friday night’s 9-0 loss to the Braves. Adolis García made a throw to the plate, but Realmuto missed the throw as he landed hard on his left knee and got hit by Michael Harris II.
“Just kind of jammed his knee and jammed his back reaching for it,” Thomson said.
Rafael Marchán stepped into the on-deck circle to hit for Realmuto in the bottom of the sixth inning on Saturday night. The inning ended before Marchán hit, but he took Realmuto’s spot behind the plate in the seventh.
Realmuto, 35, missed a game earlier this month in San Francisco because of a bruised right foot, which is a rarity. Realmuto has been baseball’s most durable catcher since he joined the Phillies in 2019. Entering Saturday, he had started 783 games at catcher. Los Angeles’ Will Smith ranked second (628). Realmuto has caught 6,826 2/3 innings in that time. Smith ranked second (5,653 1/3).
Realmuto signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Phillies in January.
If Realmuto would need more than a day or two to recover – Thomson said he doesn’t think Realmuto will need a stint on the injured list – Triple-A Lehigh Valley catcher Garrett Stubbs likely would take his place on the roster. Stubbs had been Realmuto’s backup from 2022-24 before spending most of last season with the IronPigs. The Phillies designated Stubbs for assignment before Opening Day, removing him from the 40-man roster, but he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.
The Phillies’ emergency catcher is Dylan Moore, according to Thomson.