According to a report from Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto on the 10-day injured list due to a back issue. Gelb reports that Garrett Stubbs will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to replace Realmuto on the 26-man roster. Stubbs is not on the Phillies 40-man roster and a move will have to be made there. The Phillies lack catching depth but will now have a third catcher on their 40-man roster temporarily. Stubbs is out of minor league options. This means Stubbs will have to be designated for assignment when Realmuto returns if the Phillies opt to keep Rafael Marchán as the backup catcher. The Phillies do not have a catcher with minor league options available on their 40-man roster.
News: The Phillies are putting J.T. Realmuto on the injured list. Garrett Stubbs will return and split time at catcher with Rafael Marchán.
Another blow to a team that desperately needs something to go right. Story: https://t.co/BlTHrTo2LR
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) April 22, 2026
Realmuto has a .259/.344/.352 line with one home run and four RBI in 17 games this season. To add to that Realmuto has recorded a 100 wRC+ and a .310 BABIP this season. Realmuto re-signed on a three-year deal with the Phillies this past offseason. This season Realmuto has had multiple injury issues. Realmuto first dealt with foul balls off of his right foot. Furthermore Realmuto is now going on the injured list because of this back issue according to Gelb. This was an offseason gamble by the Phillies as Realmuto is in his age-35 season. Realmuto has caught more innings than any other player since the start of the 2022 season. In that span Realmuto has caught over 4,000 innings.
Phillies Catcher Realmuto Heading To Injured List
What This Means For A Struggling Lineup
Marchán will need to step up at the plate. This season Marchán has a .0.65/.094/.161 line with one home run and two RBI in nine games. Marchán has a -37 wRC+ and a 0.43 BABIP this year. Additionally Marchán has a 21.9% strikeout rate and a 0.0% walk rate with a .117 wOBA this season. While Gelb said Marchán and Stubbs will split time, it is reasonable to think Marchán will get more chances to play than Stubbs. The catcher spot will likely occupy the nine spot in the lineup. Stubbs has a .289/.413/.632 line with three home runs and eight RBI in 10 minor league games. To add Stubbs has a 172 wRC+ along with a .320 BABIP and a 0.70 BB/K rate. Stubbs worked on defensive versatility during spring training but that will not come into play here.
A Rough Season Continues
The Phillies could not afford a player like Realmuto being on the injured list after an 8-15 start. Heading into play on April 22 the Phillies rank 28th in team OBP, 25th in team OPS and 24th in team wRC+ this season. While Realmuto could be playing better, Stubbs or Marchán occupying one of the nine lineup spots will hurt the overall production. Marchán has not produced at the plate this season and Stubbs has a poor track record in the major leagues. Caleb Ricketts or Paul McIntosh should have been given a chance here. Both would be able to be optioned to the minor leagues after their stint on the 26-man roster. Furthermore Ricketts and McIntosh could provide better competition to Marchán for the backup role than Stubbs can.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
