The last thing the Philadelphia Phillies need is another absence from their star catcher, J.T. Realmuto. On Saturday, the team announced that it has called up catcher Aramis Garcia from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He has been added to the roster as a third-string catcher, causing worries about Realmuto's status.
Garcia takes right-hander Nick Nelson’s spot on the roster after he made a two-inning appearance during Friday's 16-2 win.
Phillies add third catcher after update on J.T. Realmuto's knee
Realmuto fouled a ball off his left knee during his second-inning at-bat, and it looked extremely painful. He stayed in the game to finish his at-bat, ripping an RBI single to left. He also caught two more innings before Garrett Stubbs pinch-hit for him in the top of the fourth.
The Phillies called it a left knee contusion and, after the game, manager Rob Thomson indicated that Realmuto would be reevaluated on Saturday. He also noted that the no. 1 catcher already had a day off scheduled for Saturday, so Realmuto's absence from the lineup isn't alarming.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber confirmed that Realmuto is dealing with swelling in the knee and, according to Thomson, will need a couple of days off.
J.T. Realmuto is sore and dealing with some swelling after fouling a ball off his left knee last night. He wasn’t scheduled to play today anyway and will need “a couple of days,” according to Rob Thomson. At this point, the #Phillies believe Realmuto will dodge the injured list.
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) September 7, 2024
The optimist would say that the move to add Garcia to the roster is just precautionary to ensure that the Phillies have another catcher available to back up Stubbs without having to press Realmuto into service.
The pessimist would say that this is eerily similar to before Realmuto went on the IL with knee surgery after the London Series. If you recall, the team added Rafael Marchán as the third catcher for that series, before we knew of Realmuto's impending trip to the injured list. Despite the team believing that Realmuto will avoid a trip to the injured list this time, they also thought the same thing about Alec Bohm.
Garcia, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Phillies before last season and impressed with his spring training performance this year. This season with the IronPigs, the right-handed hitting backstop is batting just .163/.219/.287 with eight home runs and six stolen bases in 270 plate appearances over 74 games.
Garcia has played parts of four seasons in the majors, with San Francisco, Oakland and Cincinnati. He has a career .216/.253/.332 slash line with 10 home runs in 320 plate appearances over 116 games.
If you're wondering where Marchán is this time around, the injury-prone backstop was placed on the 7-day IL by the IronPigs on Aug. 29, so it doesn't look like he'll be an option after filling in admirably earlier in the season.