J.T. Realmuto has been one of the most important players on the Philadelphia Phillies this season.
Once a true hitting star from the catcher position, he has been rather discrete on offense this season with a .261/.309/.411 line, seven home runs, and a .720 OPS.
However, his contributions behind the plate have been flawless as always, as he is the leader of an elite pitching staff that ranks second in baseball in ERA with a 2.93 mark.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, Realmuto won’t be with them anytime soon.
He is set to undergo knee surgery, and while it’s not believed to end his season, it will require a long recovery process.
“The Phillies placed J.T. Realmuto on the 10-day IL (retro to 6/10) with right knee pain. To fill his spot on the 26-man roster, Rafael Marchán was recalled from Lehigh Valley (AAA). Realmuto is scheduled to undergo right knee meniscectomy surgery tomorrow in Philadelphia,” the Phils tweeted.
The meniscectomy surgery implies that the player has a torn meniscus.
Every knee procedure requires care and caution, but if the Phillies have something to be thankful for it’s the fact that his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), as well as other tendons and ligaments, are not damaged.
The Phillies will likely give Drew Stubbs much of the playing time left by Realmuto, unless they go to the market for a veteran catcher.
They have also recalled, as the tweet states, Marchan.
Losing Realmuto is a huge blow to Philadelphia because the lineup loses an important hitter, but the pitching staff is the group who will suffer from his absence the most.
