Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs (21) looks on before game two of the NLDS against the New York Mets for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Kyle Ross
In desperate need of a vibe switch, the "Chief Vibes Officer" is returning to the Phillies, albeit at a price.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are placing J.T. Realmuto on the 10-day injured list with a lower back injury. They will recall Garrett Stubbs in Realmuto's absence, and Gelb says that the veteran will "split time behind the plate with Rafael Marchán." Stubbs will need to be readded to the 40-man roster.
Realmuto initially "jammed his knee and jammed his back" in the second inning of last Friday's 9-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves when he reached for an Adolis García throw to the plate that he ultimately whiffed on. He was removed in the seventh inning of Saturday's game with "lower back tightness," and then was out of the lineup altogether on Sunday and Monday. Realmuto returned to the lineup on Tuesday, going 0-for-4 as the Phillies lost their seventh consecutive game.
It's definitely suboptimal for the Phillies — already thin on right-handed hitting — to lose Realmuto. While he's got just a .696 OPS so far this season, the bar is pretty low when it comes to right-handed hitters for the Phillies, as García (.634 OPS), Trea Turner (.635 OPS) and Alec Bohm (.384 OPS) are underperforming to varying degrees.
Also underperforming is Marchán, who has just two hits in 31 at-bats so far this season, good for an .065 batting average. One would think that the switch-hitting Marchán will now get most of the starts against lefties, with Stubbs going against righties, but we'll see.
Stubbs was Realmuto's primary backup catcher from 2022-2024. He spent the bulk of last season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, before being called up when rosters expanded in September. The 32-year-old was hitting .289 with three homers, eight RBIs and a 1.045 OPS for the IronPigs this season, while playing all over the diamond in an effort to increase his versatility.
He'll now return to the Phillies in the role he's occupied for much of his time in the organization. We'll see if his arrival at all helps to change the vibe of a team that seems headed for a lost season.
