The Philadelphia Phillies got an encouraging update after J.T. Realmuto exited Tuesday's game against the San Francisco Giants early
The Philadelphia Phillies fell to the San Francisco Giants on late Tuesday night by a final score of 6-0.
Philly’s pitching wasn’t great, the offense couldn’t get anything going against Robbie Ray, and Philadelphia also had some lapses in judgment on the defensive side of things, too. But none of that was the most concerning part of this loss.
In the bottom of the first inning, Phillies catcher JT Realmuto was hit in the foot by a foul ball off Rafael Devers. It was a direct hit to Realmuto's right shoe. The Phillies catcher popped up and limped around for a few minutes, but it was clear that he wouldn’t be able to continue, and Rafael Marchan took over behind the plate.
With how much pain Realmuto was in, there were immediate concerns about what the injury diagnosis would be. Thankfully, the Phillies have received some good news on their catcher’s status.
Realmuto’s X-rays did come back negative, but he likely is still in quite a bit of pain. Manager Rob Thomson said after the game that Marchan would, in fact, start in Wednesday evening’s game, and they would “find out more tomorrow [Wednesday]” regarding Realmuto’s status.
The Phillies brought back Realmuto during the offseason on a new three-year, $45 million contract. The deal also includes incentives that could bring the total to $60 million by the time the contract is complete.
Even though this may seem like a lot for a veteran catcher, Realmuto has been integral to Philadelphia’s pitching staff being as strong as it has been over the last half-decade. Plus, the right-handed hitter has largely been a positive in the batter’s box, too.
Apr 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) and catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrate after a win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn ImagesRealmuto has largely been one of baseball’s most reliable catchers since he debuted with the Miami Marlins back in 2014. Even with the backstop in his mid-30s, Realmuto has made 110 or more starts behind home plate over the last four seasons.
Even with Realmuto’s X-rays negative, there is still a chance he misses time, especially with how physically demanding the position of catcher is. If that does end up being the case, the Phillies would likely find a way to add Garrett Stubbs back onto the Major League roster after he was designated for assignment days before Opening Day.
Hopefully, Realmuto doesn’t end up missing a significant amount of time, and learning that his X-rays came back clean is the first step to that.
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