JT Realmuto Injury Update: Phillies Star to Undergo Surgery Ruling Him Out for Extended Period

Another injury scare? It seems the Philadelphia Phillies will have to play at least a month without their star catcher, JT Realmuto. Reflecting on the 2024 season, it’s been a series of ups and downs for the catcher, who endured a knee injury for about a month. Overall, he has played just 51 games out of 64, experiencing knee pain in May. He has hit just seven home runs and recorded 20 RBIs, displaying an average performance compared to his usual standards.

Being on the 10-day injury list before the series win of 4-1 in Boston, Realmuto will undergo right knee meniscectomy surgery in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Despite the injury scare, he played both games against the Mets, scoring 1-for-8. Additionally, reports from Phillies president Dave Dombrowski suggest that Realmuto might miss about a month of action before returning to the field.

Regarding the seriousness of JT Realmuto’s injury, Zack Wheeler exchanged a few words saying,” It’s a big blow, that’s for sure. J.T. is, I think, the best in the game. He’s caught me just about every start that I’ve pitched here. It’s different throwing to somebody else, but [Garrett Stubbs] did a great job tonight; he called a great game and he’s a big league catcher for a reason.”

In the first instance, he experienced knee pain on May 4 during a match against the Giants. Though the injury was not serious, he played through it but missed three games between May 12 and 14. Around that time, Realmuto underwent an MRI scan, which revealed a slight tear in his meniscus. However, it was considered minor, so he continued to play.

Additionally, on Tuesday, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski gave further updates on Realmuto’s injury:” He felt a little bit better over time. We thought he’d actually be able to work himself through it, but he developed a little bit more persistent pain.” Eventually, the injury progressed to the point where the club decided that Realmuto would undergo knee surgery.

The road ahead for the Phillies in JT Realmuto’s absence

Without a doubt, Realmuto, known by his teammates as the ‘backbone’ of the Phillies, is one of the few players considered a valuable asset. With him out of action for a month, management must consider other possible ways to compensate for his absence.

“We’ll see,” manager Rob Thomson said. “But I’ve said it all along: this is a resilient club. Our front office has done a great job creating depth and getting us depth. Every time somebody goes down, somebody steps up. And I’m expecting the same thing this time.”

Over the past few weeks, the team hasn’t looked sluggish without other key players. Despite Trea Turner’s right hamstring injury for over a month, the team has performed pretty well. Additionally, with the absence of Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins, the Phillies have made deep runs over the last two seasons. 

However, the tides are different this time as they will have to replace their best player. Since 2015, JT Realmuto has caught a whopping 9,315 pitches, which is 1,547 more than any other catcher in that period. Playing for the Phillies since 2019, JT’s 5,130 ⅔ innings behind the plate are ahead of the second-best, Martin Maldonado, who has 4,492 ⅔ innings.

To fill Realmuto’s void, management will have to choose between Rafael Marchan and Stubbs. Stubbs is hitting .179/.270/.196 in his 63 appearances for the Phillies. On the other hand, Marchan’s stats of .233/.382/.395 throughout 13 games are impressive as well.

Next, the Phillies will play the Red Sox at Fenway Park, an opponent that isn’t easy to beat. With JT Realmuto absent for at least a month, management will have to think on their feet to replace the star fielder without hampering their good performance in the coming games.