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J.T. Realmuto Injury: Don Mattingly Shares Latest Update On Phillies Star
J.T. Realmuto & Don Mattingly (Photos by Imagn Images)

After becoming a free agent in the offseason, J.T. Realmuto rejoined the Philadelphia Phillies on a three-year, $45 million contract. The 35-year-old no longer ranks among the elite catchers in MLB. Nevertheless, Realmuto is invaluable to the Phillies for his outstanding chemistry with their vaunted pitching staff.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Phillies concluded their three-game series on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 9-1 loss. J.T. Realmuto exited the game with an injury he suffered in the third inning of the contest. The Phillies catcher took a 97 mph fastball from Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the left wrist, which eventually forced him out of the game.

“He’s gonna be OK,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “Obviously sore, couldn’t really squeeze, wasn’t gonna be able to swing, and actually had a little trouble catching, too. So sore enough to get him out of there.”

Realmuto completed his at-bat, nevertheless, and even took up catching duties in the bottom of the third inning. The backup catcher replaced him when the team came back for defense in the fourth. The X-ray reports on Realmuto came out negative.

Don Mattingly Reflects On Replacing J.T. Realmuto With Rafael Marchan

The Philadelphia Phillies trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 when Rafael Marchan replaced J.T. Realmuto behind the plate. Rookie starting pitcher Andrew Painter gave up two solo home runs following the change, but Don Mattingly does not feel the substitution was responsible for the outcome of the game.


Rafael Marchan (Image Credits: Imagn)

“Obviously we like J.T., what he does back there, and calls the game, but Marchan is very good back there too,” Mattingly said.

The Phillies dropped to third place in the National League East with a 30-29 record. They ended the month of May with a .643 win percentage, but have failed to score more than four runs in the last 11 games.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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