Philadelphia Phillies star catcher JT Realmuto was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday and will miss about a month recovering from surgery to remove cartilage from his right knee.
Realmuto will undergo a meniscectomy on his right knee on Wednesday. Manager Rob Thomson said the July 15-18 All-Star break could reduce the games Realmuto will miss.
“JT is going to work hard, I know that,” Thomson said before a three-game series against the Red Sox.
Despite dealing with knee pain throughout the season, Realmuto remained a steady presence for the National League-leading Phillies, hitting .261 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 51 games. He missed three straight games last month with right knee soreness.
Realmuto, 33, becomes the latest Phillies player to be placed on the IL, joining two-time All-Star shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) and outfielder Brandon Marsh (hamstring).
In a corresponding move Tuesday, the Phillies recalled catcher Rafael Marchan from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Garrett Stubbs was in the receiver lineup for Tuesday night’s game, and Thomson said he and Marchan would split time.
Marchan, 25, had a stint in the major leagues with the Phillies earlier this season but did not appear in a game. He hit .233 with two homers and eight RBIs in 13 games this season, split between Class A Clearwater and Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies (45-20) lead the Atlanta Braves (35-28) by nine games in the NL East and entered Tuesday one percentage point ahead of the New York Yankees (47-21) for the best record in the majors. .
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
