The Philadelphia Phillies could’ve lost much more than just a game on Wednesday night.
Star catcher J.T. Realmuto took a foul ball to the foot early in the team’s 6-0 road loss to the San Francisco Giants and left the game immediately.
Fortunately, it looks like the three-time Silver Slugger is out of danger, and the decision to take him out may have been more of a precaution.
According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, he avoided a big bullet, but he’ll still miss Wednesday’s game.
J.T. Realmuto avoids serious injury
“X-rays are negative on J.T. Realmuto’s right foot. Rafael Marchan will start tomorrow,” Zolecki shared on X.
The Phillies gave Realmuto a three-year, $45 million deal this offseason, and while he hasn’t been that consistent at the plate in recent years, he’s still one of the most reliable, hard-hitting players at the position.
Realmuto has collected a couple of multi-hit games in April, and has slashed .240/.406/.400 through 25 at-bats this season. He may no longer flirt with 20 homers a season at 35, but he’s still an elite defensive player with a knack for having big moments when it matters most.
Having Rafael Marchan behind the plate is clearly a downgrade — he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout on Tuesday night and is hitting .091 for the season — but it’s better than having their star catcher miss significant time.
The Phillies will try to get back at the Giants in the rubber match of the series, this time with Aaron Nola taking the mound against Tyler Mahle.