Phillies Activate J.T. Realmuto from IL, Recall Yunior Marte Prior to Game 2 in Pittsburgh
Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images
After being out for over a month, the Phillies’ star catcher is making his long-awaited return to the diamond. J.T. Realmuto, 33, had a procedure on his right knee on June 12, which sidelined him through the All-Star break. In 51 games for the Phillies, Realmuto has a .720 OPS and a .261 average, so getting his bat back in the lineup will prove advantageous for the Phils’ offense.
Behind the plate, Realmuto has nabbed seven attempted base stealers in 2024, and he has posted the best pop times in baseball over the past few seasons. Tonight, Realmuto is batting fifth and catching in his first game since June 9.
To make room for Realmuto on the 26-man roster, the Phillies optioned catcher Rafael Marchan to triple-A Lehigh Valley. Despite posting a much better slash line than backup catcher Garrett Stubbs in his brief major-league stint, Marchan had to be sacrificed to keep the Phillies’ vibes guy around the clubhouse. Stubbs has been with the Phillies for three seasons but is slashing just .180/.266/.225 in 111 at-bats this season.
The Phillies also recalled hard-throwing reliever Yunior Marte from triple-A and optioned the struggling Michael Mercado to Lehigh Valley. In 16.1 innings at the big-league level, Marte has a 3.31 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.
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