One of the best teams in baseball will be without one of its stars for the foreseeable future.
On Tuesday, the Phillies announced that catcher J.T. Realmuto will undergo right knee meniscectomy surgery on Wednesday.
Realmuto, who was also placed on the 10-day injured list with what was dubbed “right knee pain,” played in both games of the Phillies’ London Series matchup against the Mets this weekend, going 1-for-8 with a walk.
Phillies president Dave Dombrowski told reporters the team expects the catcher to miss about a month.
The 2024 season has been a bit of a rocky one for the three-time All-Star backstop, who has reportedly battled a knee issue for the past month or so.
Realmuto has played in just 51 of the Phils’ 65 games, missing time in May with knee pain, and had hit .261 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs.
The 33-year-old is regarded as one of the premier catchers in baseball, but his deeper numbers tell a different story this year.
Realmuto’s 26.9 percent strikeout rate is the highest of his career, and he’s netted minus-1 defensive runs saved behind the dish.
Altogether, according to Fangraphs, Realmuto has generated 1.0 wins above replacement (WAR), which ranks 18th among all MLB catchers.
Backup Garrett Stubbs has struggled when filling in for Realmuto, hitting .173 with a .463 OPS in 19 games.
As a corresponding move for Realmuto, Philadelphia called up Rafael Marchan from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Marchan posted an 86 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) in nine International League games this year and previously played 20 games with the Phillies at the major league level in 2021 and three in the COVID-shortened 2020.
If Realmuto is out for multiple months, Dombrowski could look to add a catcher before the trade deadline.
Potential trade targets could include Toronto’s Danny Jansen and Colorado’s Elias Diaz, both of whom are free agents after this season.
Despite losing Trea Turner in early May with a hamstring injury, the Phillies have remained undeterred, boasting a 45-20 record — the best in baseball by winning percentage — and a nine-game lead for first place in the National League East.
Now, Philadelphia will look to maintain its momentum without another star for several weeks, if not months.
