X-rays were negative on J.T. Realmuto’s left foot after he fouled a ball off himself in Saturday’s 11-6 win over the Nationals. The Phillies took Realmuto out of the game, and the catcher also didn’t play today “more a precaution than anything,” manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Realmuto will likely be back in action tomorrow when the Phillies have their home opener, though Trea Turner could miss a third straight game as he recovers from back spasms. Thomson said Turner was available off the bench today and might play Monday, though the Phils’ off-day on Tuesday would allow Turner to get a full four days of recovery time if he is held out of Monday’s lineup.
In other Phillies injury news, Ranger Suarez threw a 26-pitch bullpen session on Saturday, and an up-and-down bullpen is now slated for Tuesday. If all goes well, Lauber writes that Suarez will make at least one minor league rehab start before being activated from the 15-day injured list. Suarez was bothered by a bad back during Spring Training, and the Phils decided to put him on the IL to give him more time to heal up and them finish his spring preparations in advance of his 2025 debut.
More injury updates from around the National League…
- Speaking of pitchers on the 15-day IL, the Reds told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that southpaw Andrew Abbott will throw his first rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. Abbott is slated for another outing on April 6, and a decision will then be made about whether or not he might be activated onto the Reds’ roster. A shoulder strain ended Abbott’s 2024 season in late August, and recovering from that strain set Abbott back in his usual offseason work, so the Reds opted to slowly ramp the left-hander up in Spring Training. If all goes well, Abbott should line up to make his 2025 debut on April 11 or 12, depending on how Cincinnati sets up its pitching staff.
- Braves catcher Sean Murphy will also probably be starting a minor league rehab assignment this week, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes that Murphy will likely take the field for the Braves’ A-level affiliate on Friday. Murphy cracked a rib after he was hit by a pitch during a Spring Training game in early March, and we’ve already hit the lower end of the initial 4-6 week recovery timeline. Still, Murphy appears to be making good enough progress that a return to Atlanta’s lineup should be feasible by mid-April.
- Tyler Freeman left today’s game with a bruised left wrist after he was hit by a Taj Bradley pitch, but x-rays were negative, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes. Freeman might be well enough to return to the Rockies’ lineup tomorrow, though since Colorado doesn’t play on Tuesday, this is another situation where a player with a minor injury might simply get an extra day to fully heal.
Sean Murphy should just retire. Yall will even make a nice send off post for him
Retire at 30? Why?
Because it will make him angrier at the world if Murphy doesn’t. That’s all I’ve got.
Teams are betting that resting players now, even if they seem okay, keeps them healthier later in the season. They’re using hidden info—like how bodies heal or past injuries—to decide this, not just guesswork. It’s a smart, quiet plan to win more games over the whole year, and nobody’s really talking about it.
That’s some serious Moneyball 2.0 stuff ya got there.
@MLB Fanatic
Really? Seems logical to manage some key assets, given you don’t want to overextended them during a long 162 season. The team wants to win but not get their players injured before the playoffs.
Three of the six mentioned were hit by pitches. This is not about management but recovery.
Where is this hidden info that predicts the future so teams now when and who will be hit by a pitch or foul one off of themselves??
Do you ever type anything of fact???
@Tibers3232
@Tigers3232
You’re missing what I’m saying. I didn’t claim teams know who’s getting hit by a pitch or fouling a ball off themselves ahead of time—that’s not the point. My argument is about what they do after it happens. Three guys got hit, sure, but look at how the teams are handling it. Realmuto’s foot x-rays were fine, but the Phillies sat him Sunday anyway. Turner could’ve pinch-hit but didn’t start, and Freeman might skip Monday even though his wrist isn’t broken. Why? Because teams aren’t just guessing—they’ve got info we don’t see.
Think about it: they know more than “x-rays are negative.” They’ve got stuff like how much force was in that foul ball, how stiff Turner’s back really is, or how fast Freeman’s bruise could turn into something worse. They’re not waiting for a big injury to show up—they’re stopping it early. Like, if Realmuto plays Sunday and his foot swells up, he’s not out for a day; he’s out for weeks. Same with Turner or Freeman. Teams are resting them now so they’re good for the long haul—162 games is a grind, and playoffs matter more than March.
You say it’s just recovery, not management. But resting a guy is management. It’s a smart call to keep your best players ready later, not burn them out early. They’re not pulling this out of thin air—teams have doctors, data, and plans we don’t hear about. Suarez and Abbott aren’t throwing random pitches; they’ve got rehab schedules mapped out to the day. Murphy’s not back yet because they’re timing it right. That’s not luck; it’s a strategy.
Facts? The article shows teams being careful—resting guys who could play, using off-days smartly, setting up rehab starts. They’re not reacting; they’re planning. You don’t see the “hidden info” because they don’t tell us everything—just the results. Call it basic sense: protect your players now, win more later. That’s what I meant.
Or it’s just that even if nothing is broke, it still hurts, and that impedes a players ability to perform. It’s not always all that deep
The guy fouled a 90-100 MPH pitch off of his foot. Even if it is not broken it swells and gets tender. It also can be difficult to put weight on.
It’s pretty safe to assume it was swollen since trainers found an gray necessary.
Dude. Lay off. Old York is making a valid, non-inflammatory comment and you feel the need to criticize. Nothing he said was outlandish or off beat.
Your comments make me think that you are the type of person whose mother would make you a wonderful dinner and you criticize because the tablecloth was slightly off center.
Next time, instead of trying to make yourself feel superior, just don’t say anything.
Sounds like Bobby Cox was well ahead of his time, “Let’s give it one more day.”
@Ogre Every single post he’s making these outlandish claims or is making claims that are flat out wrong.
He can take the trying to run sone of his comments through AI, he can take the time to check facts.
I have no desire to feel superior. I do however have an issue with someone presenting false information as fact at the rate he does. Especially when some of his comments it’s obvious he has not even read the article.
@Tigers3232
The problem is you haven’t provided any information as to what false information I’ve presented. so you’re making yourself look like a fool. Once again, quite hilarious!
Let’s see teams players are on, Sale and May’s usage as relief pitchers to name a few. That’s just off top of my head from last few days.
I actually provided a list the last time you tried a ayin what errors. Of course no response once I did.
@Tigers3232
They were used as relief at one time when they came back from injuries.
No you specifically said 2018 for Sale, which every appearance he started a game that season. May relieved a few times his first season and I believe twice his second season and hasn’t since.
Obviously no defense or mention of the player who wasn’t even on the team you claimed he was the future of. Or getting younger with players who would be same age. Again a player you said to be part of teams future regardless they are an impending free agent.
How about commenting wondering what type of surgery a player had despite it being in both headline and first sentence….
@Tigers3232
Your full of disinformation. Seems like you’re trolling. I’ll take your posts with a grain of salt.
And no I’m in no way trolling. I’m calling out someone who blatantly has no regard for if what he says is in any way factual or has any merit.
What’s with the “wise old man” schtick that knows stuff others don’t ? It’s every single post. Do you think you might be overdoing the deep thinker performance ?
@foppert3
Listen. You don’t need to read anything I write. It’s that simple. Clearly, you like reading it since you are commenting on it.
I’m not doing any sctick or deep thinker performance. I’m just reading the article and giving my opinion. If having an opinion is against the law, maybe you don’t like the constitution and would prefer to live in North Korea.
I like reading the comments in general. And it’s both annoying and unfair to newer fance when someone such as yourself passes off false assumptions as fact over and over and over again.
Having an opinion is fine, you present opinions as such not as facts…
Name one bit of disinformation I’ve said or something other than a fact that you can substantiate opposed to trying to talk around and avoid accountability