Philadelphia Phillies Catcher JT Realmuto Hits Injured List, Will Undergo Knee Surgery

JT Realmuto will be out for an indeterminate amount of time once he undergoes knee surgery on Wednesday, robbing the Philadelphia Phillies of their All-Star catcher.

May 1, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have placed catcher JT Realmuto on the 10-day injured list with right knee pain retroactive to June 10, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.

Realmuto is scheduled to undergo undergo right knee meniscectomy surgery in Philadelphia on Wednesday. There is not a timetable available for Realmuto's return.

The 33-year-old catcher was batting .261 with seven home runs, 20 RBI, a .720 OPS and 1.2 WAR on the season prior to his injury. His last appearance was in the finale of the London Series against the New York Mets on Sunday, when he got subbed out in the ninth inning.

Over his last six appearances, Realmuto was batting .083 with a .289 OPS, recording 10 strikeouts, one walk and zero extra-base hits in that time. His cold stretch comes on the heels of a record-breaking 17-game hitting streak, during which he hit .351 with a .912 OPS. Prior to May 4, he was batting .239 with a .692 OPS.

Realmuto is in the fourth season of the five-year, $115.5 million contract he signed with Philadelphia back in 2021 – the largest for a catcher in MLB history. The Phillies acquired Realmuto in a trade with the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2019 campaign.

For his career, Realmuto is a .272 hitter with a .782 OPS and a 34.5 WAR. The three-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glove winner ranks second among active catchers with 1,190 hits, 598 RBI and 1,984 total bases, as well as fifth with 161 home runs.

Without Realmuto, Garrett Stubbs will have to take over as the Phillies' primary catcher. Philadelphia also recalled 25-year-old Rafael Marchán from Triple-A Lehigh to serve as the backup.

It remains to be seen if the Phillies will look to make an outside acquisition at catcher, which is likely dependent on how long Realmuto is out for.

Philadelphia is set to open up a road series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

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