CHICAGO -- A Phillies team that has spent the past week having its mettle tested on a nightly basis was dealt yet another blow on Wednesday.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has been dealing with back pain that forced him to exit Saturday's game against the Braves and miss the next two contests, is being placed on the 10-day injured list with back spasms.
Garrett Stubbs had his contract selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move, as the seven-year vet will now split time behind the plate with Rafael Marchán. Right-hander Max Lazar was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room on Philly’s 40-man roster.
The loss of Realmuto is another difficult test for the Phillies as they try to navigate out of their first seven-game losing streak since June 16-23, 2019. But for the moment, the club is feeling confident his absence won’t be lengthy.
“He's sore, and it's gonna be a few days before he's pain-free. So that's why we decided to put him on the IL,” manager Rob Thomson said before Wednesday night's game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. “It's just some inflammation. We think he's gonna be back at the 10-day mark.”
Thomson indicated Realmuto’s spasms began flaring up after he attempted to field a wild pitch from reliever José Alvarado in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s loss to the Cubs. Realmuto could be seen clutching his back as he got to first base after reaching on a fielder’s choice in the ninth, which prompted a visit from Thomson and the team’s trainer.
Realmuto, who re-signed with Philadelphia on a three-year, $45 million contract on Jan. 20, had already been grinding his way through the 2026 season. He’s played in just 17 of the Phillies’ 23 games to this point, as he dealt with his sore back while also missing one game after Rafael Devers fouled a ball off his right foot on April 7 in San Francisco.
Though Realmuto’s .352 slugging percentage this season is well below his career average (.446), he was one of only four players in a scuffling Phillies lineup to boast an on-base percentage above .301. His bat, along with the backstop leadership Philly pitchers raved about upon hearing he re-signed, will be a huge hole for a struggling team to fill. The Phillies’ rotation entered Wednesday with a combined ERA of 5.34 and can ill afford any more bad breaks.
The team at the very least received a silver lining when it comes to Stubbs’ return. Philadelphia made the difficult decision to option the clubhouse favorite to Triple-A on March 20 as it trimmed down its Opening Day roster. Stubbs was placed on waivers, eventually clearing them and being outrighted to Lehigh Valley.
“Stubby will come in here, and he's played a lot of meaningful baseball here in Philadelphia,” Thomson said. “So I feel good about that.”
Stubbs' arrival, along with the current belief that Realmuto's return won't be too far off in the horizon, provides some comfort for a team that can't afford much more tough news as it tries to make up ground in the NL East.