Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto activated from IL, to return from knee surgery against Pirates
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.
The three-time All-Star was placed on the IL on June 11, retroactive to June 10, and had meniscectomy surgery on his right knee on June 12. Realmuto will play against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, batting fifth.
"He is a very important guy," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "But the last couple of years, it's always been next-man-up. Somebody steps up. I really expect that of the guys that we've got."
The Phillies have gone 17-15 without Realmuto, who is batting .261 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 51 games. Still a major-league best 62-35, they have lost three of their past four, including 8-7 to the Pirates on Friday after leading 7-4 entering the seventh inning.
"It was very good," Thomson said on how Philadelphia performed without Realmuto. "I don't think I would say it's better than what I expected. Because I always expect the best. That's just who I am."
Realmuto is a career .272 hitter in 11 major league seasons with the Phillies and the Miami Marlins with 161 home runs and 598 RBIs. He had a career-long 17-game hitting streak from May 4-28, the longest for a Phillies player who was mostly a catcher since at least 1900.
Thomson said they would be careful with Realmuto for the near future but expect the 33-year-old to return to a full workload within the next few weeks.
Along with the Realmuto move, the Phillies recalled right-handed pitcher Yunior Marte from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room on the 26-man roster, catcher Rafael Marchán and right-handed pitcher Michael Mercado were each optioned to Lehigh Valley.
"(Marchán) played great," Thomson said. "He showed us everything that we needed to see from him. He's a big leaguer. But he needs to play. He needs to be ready to play every day in case something happens here. We just thought that was the smartest thing to do."