The Chavez Ravine House of Horror Claims J.T. Realmuto in Series Loss: ‘He’s Gonna be Ok’
May 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) reacts after being hit by a pitch in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
J.T. Realmuto had a very painful weekend in Los Angeles.
In Game 2 of the series, Realmuto took a direct hit foul ball to the catcher’s mask off the bat of Will Smith in the second inning, and it definitely stunned him, so much so that Smith, the opposing catcher, stepped out of the box to give him a moment. Later in that game, he got clipped by Shohei Ohtani‘s backswing, certainly less painful than the foul ball, but it still hurts.
Then in Game 3, in the third inning, Realmuto took a 97 mph Yohinobu Yamamoto fastball on the left wrist. It was a direct hit, and though Realmuto stayed in the game and ran the bases, it was obvious that he was in pain as he was flexing his hand while on the bases. He went back to catch Andrew Painter in the bottom of the third inning, but it was obvious that he was in discomfort.
“He’s gonna be ok,” manager Don Mattingly said after the game. “Obviously sore, couldn’t really squeeze, he wasn’t gonna be able to swing and actually had a little trouble catching, too. So, sore enough to get him out of there.”
He was removed from the game in the fourth when Rafael Marchan came in, and Painter gave up two home runs. Not that Painter was pitching particularly well before this, but the pitch selection was obviously a part of it. It’s hard to put that on Marchan, but changing catchers mid-game is a difficult thing to do, especially for a struggling rookie pitcher like Painter. Mattingly didn’t believe that this departure had any real impact on the way that Painter threw after Realmuto’s departure.
“Obviously, we like J.T., what he does back there, and calls the game, but Marchan is very good back there too,” Mattingly said.
Though Marchan is a very good backup catcher, the catcher ERA tells the story here. Realmuto’s catcher ERA is 3.89 over 34-2/3 innings, and the backup combination of Marchan and Garrett Stubbs is 9.16 over 18-2/3 innings. Though the sample size is small, the message is clear: Realmuto is incredibly important behind the plate for the Phils.
Though he hasn’t started particularly well this season offensively, Realmuto has been a settling force for the pitching staff, and we have to look no further than the start of the season. The pitching staff looked out of sorts as the season started with Realmuto on the shelf, so any extended time with Realmuto out of the lineup will hurt the pitching staff, which is just starting to gel.
Though the X-rays were negative, it was announced that Realmuto had a wrist contusion. While this is good news, Realmuto may not be in the lineup for a week, recovering. Los Angeles has been a house of horrors for the Phillies in their last two visits there, and this injury just caps off this terrible trip to LA.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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