The Philadelphia Phillies were dealt an early injury scare Tuesday night when catcher J.T. Realmuto exited their game against the San Francisco Giants after taking a foul ball off his right foot in the first inning.
Initial X-rays came back negative, but manager Rob Thomson said the team will continue evaluating Realmuto in the coming days, leaving his short-term status uncertain.
The play that forced Realmuto out came in the first inning, when Rafael Devers fouled a ball off the top of Realmuto’s right foot, according to MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki. The Phillies described the injury as a bruise. Thomson told reporters after the game that backup catcher Rafael Marchán would handle the duties on Wednesday, with an off-day on Thursday giving Realmuto additional time to recover.
“We’ll find out more tomorrow,” Thomson told reporters in his postgame remarks.
Philadelphia Inquirer Phillies beat reporter Lochlahn March reported on social media that X-rays were negative and Realmuto would be reevaluated Wednesday. The Giants went on to shut out the Phillies 6-0, with Robbie Ray throwing a scoreless 6 2/3 innings for San Francisco.
Phillies Have Backup Plan if Realmuto Misses Time
If Realmuto’s bruised foot turns out to be more serious than currently expected, Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs catcher Garrett Stubbs would be the most likely call-up, according to MLB.com‘s Zolecki. Stubbs served as Realmuto’s primary backup from 2022 to 2024 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, meaning he’s still in the organization and available if needed.
Realmuto has been arguably the most durable catcher in baseball since 2019, starting 776 games behind the plate entering Tuesday, 156 more than his nearest competitor, the Dodgers‘ Will Smith, per MLB.com. He has caught 6,773 2/3 innings over that span, more than 1,191 innings ahead of Smith. For a team built around a star-studded pitching staff, losing the three-time All-Star for any extended stretch would be a significant setback.
Realmuto Re-Signed With Phillies After Wild Free Agency
The injury adds unwanted drama to what was already an eventful offseason for Realmuto. The 35-year-old backstop re-signed with Philadelphia in January on a three-year, $45 million deal, with the opportunity to earn an additional $5 million per year in incentives, according to MLB.com‘s Paul Casella and Zolecki. The contract came after a frenzied stretch of free-agent dominoes falling, including the Mets swooping in to sign shortstop Bo Bichette, whom the Phillies had been aggressively pursuing. But losing out on Bichette freed Philadelphia to bring Realmuto back.
As Tom Dierberger of Sports Illustrated detailed at the time, the deal came together over a wild 15-hour stretch of activity across the league. For Realmuto, the new pact represents a meaningful pay cut from the five-year, $115.5 million contract, with a $23.1 million average annual value, he had just completed.
Even so, Realmuto remains the unquestioned backbone of the Phillies’ catching corps and one of the best defensive backstops in the game. The Phillies are hoping Wednesday’s reevaluation brings good news and that Realmuto’s track record of durability works in his favor once again, keeping him off the injured list.
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