SAN FRANCISCO -- Phillies catcher. J.T. Realmuto is one of the toughest players in baseball, but he left Tuesday night’s 6-0 loss to the Giants at Oracle Park shortly after Rafael Devers fouled a ball off the top of Realmuto’s right foot in the first inning.
The Phillies said that Realmuto suffered a bruise. X-rays were negative.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Rafael Marchán will play on Wednesday with an off-day on Thursday.
Perhaps Realmuto will return this weekend.
“We’ll find out more tomorrow,” Thomson said.
Realmuto, 35, has been baseball’s most durable catcher since he joined the Phillies in 2019. Entering Tuesday, he had started 776 games at catcher, 156 more than Los Angeles’ Will Smith. Realmuto has caught 6,773 2/3 innings, 1,191 1/3 innings more than Smith.
Realmuto signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Phillies in January.
If Realmuto misses an extended period of time, Triple-A Lehigh Valley catcher Garrett Stubbs likely would take his place on the roster. He 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.