In case you missed it, another Philadelphia Phillie landed on the injured list Tuesday. This time, it was the Phillies' iron man, catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The news came as quite a surprise Tuesday afternoon as the team announced that Realmuto was heading to the 10-day IL with right knee pain, with surgery already lined up. On Wednesday, Realmuto underwent right knee meniscectomy surgery to repair a small meniscus tear.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey, the Phillies provided an update before Wednesday's game that the surgery went well and is beginning rehab in Philadelphia.
Does Phillies' J.T. Realmuto surgery update make us feel any better?
Of course it's always good news to hear a player's procedure went well and as expected, especially when a player of Realmuto's caliber has to be shut down for a period of time. Surgery is never what fans want to hear, but there is a silver lining to the decision.
According to reports, Realmuto began experiencing pain in late May when the Phillies were in San Francisco. Realmuto played through the bum knee as best he could, but it became an increasing issue that couldn't be ignored.
Phillies' president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski talked about Realmuto's willingness to play through the injury and the decision to finally go under the knife.
"I think it's time that we get this thing done from what everybody's telling me. Let's get it knocked out," Dombrowski said to Realmuto, per MLB.com's Paul Casella.
Dombrowski also announced that it will be about a month before the star backstop returns, with the All-Star break also playing a factor.
“It should be about a month that he'll be out," Dombrowski said, per Casella. “I'd rather get it done now -- as he would. Get it taken care of and then know that he's coming back rather than it stir up later in the year and then have to do it at an inopportune time down the stretch.”
In 51 games this year, Realmuto is hitting .261 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. While his overall offensive production has been down compared to his career averages, there's no way to replace him.
Filling the hole left by Realmuto's absence is another challenge this Phillies team will face. One of the toughest catchers in today's game, Realmuto has played in at least 125 games in eight of his last nine seasons.
The Phillies' vibes officer, Garrett Stubbs, will get the call as the next man up, with Rafael Marchán being called up from Triple-A to join the mix, but it's hard to see that combination living up to the high standards Realmuto has set in Philadelphia.