NEW YORK — The Phillies are hoping that both Kyle Schwarber (back) and J.T. Realmuto (knee) will avoid the injured list.
Realmuto, speaking with reporters in the visiting clubhouse at Citi Field on Monday, said he began experiencing right knee soreness as he was running the bases when he hit a triple on May 4 against the San Francisco Giants. The knee started bothering him while he was catching over the weekend in Miami. That led to Realmuto taking off Sunday. He is out of the lineup again for Monday’s series opener against the New York Mets.
“That’s why I just got a little more worried,” Realmuto said. “I didn’t want to push it too much and put myself in the position to hurt it worse.”
Realmuto said he doesn’t believe the knee will lead to an injured list stint. The ailment did not require an examination.
“That’s the kind of the level of concern we are at,” Thomson said.
Realmuto missed the final week of the 2019 season after undergoing a meniscus cleanup in his right knee.
Thomson also believes Schwarber will avoid the IL. He has missed the last two games with a back issue and is out of the lineup for the series opener against New York. He took swings on Monday in the batting cages, according to Thomson. On whether or not Schwarber or Realmuto are available off the bench, Thomson declined to answer in order to avoid tipping his hand.
Losing Schwarber and or Realmuto for an extended period of time would be a devastating blow to the first-place Phillies, who are already without Trea Turner for at least the next five weeks due to a hamstring strain. Realmuto, who has been one of the best catchers in baseball throughout his tenure with the club, has played in at least 134 games for the Phillies in each of the last three seasons. His absence was felt Sunday as starter Zack Wheeler struggled to get on the same page with backup catcher Garrett Stubbs.
Stubbs, after posting great numbers in limited at-bats in 2022, has struggled at the plate since then. He is 3-for-26 so far at the plate this season.
While Schwarber hasn’t gotten off to the greatest start, his absence at the top of the lineup has forced the Phillies to experiment with different lineup combinations. Whit Merrifield has batted leadoff against a left-handed starter in each of the last two games. Thomson hinted that Bryson Stott could bat leadoff on Tuesday against right-handed starter José Butto.
Why Spencer Turnbull only pitched one inning on Sunday
Thomson deployed reliever Spencer Turnbull for one inning on Sunday in what ended up being a curious decision.
The expectation was that Turnbull was going to pitch multiple innings as the Phillies were down three to the Miami Marlins. Then the Phillies came roaring back in the top of the sixth, tying the game on a two-run triple by Edmundo Sosa and a Brandon Marsh sacrifice fly. Turnbull was inserted into the game the next half inning and kept the Marlins from retaking the lead.
Instead of going to Turnbull for another inning in the seventh, the Phillies went to José Alvarado against Jake Burger, Josh Bell and Jesús Sánchez.
Thomson said the decision to limit Turnbull to one inning was dictated more by the game situation. Turnbull, according to Thomson, would have came back out for another inning if the Phillies did not tie the game in the fifth prior to his appearance. The Phillies will try to find ways to keep him stretched out as a starter, but they are also not afraid to use him as a one-inning high leverage reliever.
In other words, they’re trying to establish some flexibility with Turnbull.
“Everybody seems to think he’s just a long guy,” Thomson said. “He’s not. I’ve stated in the past, I’ll use him in leverage.”
The decision to limit Turnbull to one inning has ramifications for Monday’s game. Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman, who followed Turnbull, are almost certainly unavailable after pitching on back-to-back days. Thomson could also try to avoid using Alvarado three out of four days. Turnbull is likely also down after pitching on Sunday, though Thomson declined to confirm.
Any way you put it, the Phillies are short tonight in the bullpen and will have to rely on starter Cristopher Sánchez to give them at least six or seven innings.
Notes
- According to Thomson, Turner (hamstring) has began doing glove work and agility. He also jogged in the outfield on Sunday in Miami.
- Rafael Marchan (back), the only other catcher on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, is expected to play in extended spring training games beginning this week.
- On Marsh being in the lineup on Monday against left-handed starter Sean Manaea, Thomson said, “I want to get Marsh left-handed reps. And this is a guy, I’m not going to tell you why, but this is a guy I think he matches up well with.”
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