Rafael Marchan

Phillies Activate J.T. Realmuto From 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | July 20, 2024 at 2:26pm CDT

J.T. Realmuto is back in the Phillies’ lineup, as the catcher has been officially activated from the team’s 10-day injured list. Right-hander Yunior Marte was also called up from Triple-A, and in corresponding moves, catcher Rafael Marchan and right-hander Michael Mercado were optioned to Triple-A.

After undergoing knee surgery on June 12, the expectation was that Realmuto would need roughly a month of recovery time, so he’ll return only slightly beyond that timeline (with the All-Star break also giving him a bit of extra time). The first-place Phillies have just kept on rolling even with Realmuto out, Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh also having lengthy IL stints, and Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber having minimal 10-day IL absences.

With Realmuto now back, Philadelphia is again operating with all of its first-choice position players, making things even scarier for opposing pitchers. Realmuto’s contributions to this powerhouse lineup have been fairly modest, as he has hit .261/.309/.411 over 223 plate appearances.

While still quite good for a catcher and above-average (102 wRC+) overall, Realmuto’s 26.9% strikeout rate is on pace to be the highest of his career, and his 5.4% walk rate would be his lowest since 2016 when he was still with the Marlins. These rates are both well below the league average, though Realmuto is still in the 88th percentile of hard-hit ball rate and he is continuing to barrel the ball, with seven homers thus far this season. The defense has been a mixed bag, with Realmuto throwing out 29% of baserunners but his blocking and framing work have been subpar. Even if Realmuto is slowing down a bit in his age-33 season, he is still an overall plus for the Phillies, and he also doesn’t even have to be a top contributor in such a loaded batting order.

Marchan saw his first MLB action since 2021 in Realmuto’s absence, and looked impressive in hitting .294/.345/.549 over 56 plate appearances. Despite these numbers, Marchan was likely optioned so he can continue to get regular playing time in Triple-A rather than get limited action as Realmuto’s backup, so Garrett Stubbs will continue on the active roster in the backup catcher role.

NL East Notes: Dombrowski, Phillies, Gallo, Minter

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 8:51am CDT

Three unnamed teams have offered catching help to the Phillies since the news broke earlier this week about J.T. Realmuto’s knee surgery, as president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. While Philadelphia is expected to look for some kind of short-term depth in Realmuto’s absence, Dombrowski didn’t sound too enamored by the options available thus far, noting that the three clubs approached the Phillies about the available catchers: “That’s usually probably not a good sign, that they’re trying to get rid of them. Rather than the opposite way where you’re pursuing them.” Since Realmuto is slated to miss roughly a month, Dombrowski seems content to “take a look at our young guys” like backup catcher Rafael Marchan in the interim, so the Phils don’t necessarily feel much pressure to make a trade.

Philadelphia’s outstanding 47-22 record also provides a bit more breathing room, as the Phillies have the National League’s best record and look like a lock to return to the playoffs. Dombrowski naturally expected his team to be good, but admitted that a .681 win percentage even exceeded his expectations, especially considering that the Phils have been without Trea Turner for the majority of the season. Turner’s impending return is an upgrade on its own, and in terms of other possible trade deadline additions, Dombrowski said it’s “way, way, way, way, way too early” to start accessing how the market might take shape. Dombrowski cited bullpen depth as one possible area to explore, and doesn’t seem to think the Phillies will pursue a “we’re going to trade three top prospects” type of blockbuster trade. The PBO is also cognizant of how adding and subtracting from the roster might impact team chemistry, as obviously Dombrowski doesn’t want to disrupt what has been a winning formula for the Phillies to date.

Phillies Likely To Pursue Additional Catching Depth

By Steve Adams | June 12, 2024 at 12:27pm CDT

The Phillies lost catcher J.T. Realmuto for at least a month while he rehabs from a meniscus procedure on his right knee. They’ll go with backstops Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs behind the plate in the meantime, but Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the Phils will also likely seek some additional catching depth to stash in Triple-A alongside journeyman Aramis Garcia.

Between Marchan and Stubbs, the Phillies seemingly feel content at the moment. That’s understandable, given a relatively short timetable for Realmuto to recover and an MLB-high 10-game lead over their division at the moment. Marchan has missed much of the 2024 season due to a back injury but is healthy now and has hit .233/.382/.395 in 55 plate appearances since coming off the IL. He also hit .297/.331/.440 in Triple-A last season, and president of baseball operations sang praises for Marchan’s defensive capabilities when chatting with Gelb.

The Realmuto injury could give Marchan a big league run with some consistent playing time for the next few weeks — something he’s never received before. Though he’s long been a well-regarded catching prospect, Marchan has been blocked by Realmuto for years and has also repeatedly struggled to stay healthy in the minors. He’s appeared in just 23 MLB games and taken 65 plate appearances.

Marchan will be out of minor league options next season, so this will in some ways be an audition for a part-time role either next season or perhaps even later this year. Stubbs only has 63 plate appearances on the season and has delivered just a .179/.270/.196 slash. Manager Rob Thomson plans to split playing time fairly evenly between the two catchers and hopes to keep them lined up with the same starting pitchers during Realmuto’s absence, per Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

There’s not a ton out there when it comes to catching depth, though old friend Donny Sands was just released by the Giants and the Mets recently designated Tomas Nido for assignment. The Phillies won’t take on the remainder of Nido’s $2.1MM salary but could add him on a minor league deal whenever he clears waivers following that DFA. (Nido has five-plus years of service and can reject an outright in favor of free agency without needing to surrender the remainder of his guarantee.) The Mets also recently released veteran catcher Omar Narvaez.

A major catching acquisition for the Phillies is unlikely, barring some kind of setback in Realmuto’s recovery. Coffey notes that Dombrowski was asked whether Realmuto’s injury impacts the Phillies’ trade deadline outlook, to which the veteran baseball ops exec replied, “Not at this moment.” That said, a signing from the Narvaez/Nido/Sands bucket, a cash swap for a veteran playing in Triple-A with another club, or perhaps even signing a former big leaguer currently playing independent ball could all make sense.

J.T. Realmuto To Undergo Knee Surgery

By Darragh McDonald | June 11, 2024 at 3:30pm CDT

3:30pm: President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says the club expects Realmuto to miss “about a month,” as relayed by Matt Gelb of The Athletic on X.

1:15pm: The Phillies announced that catcher J.T. Realmuto has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 10, with right knee pain. He will undergo right knee meniscectomy surgery tomorrow in Philadelphia. No timeline for his return was provided. Catcher Rafael Marchán was recalled in a corresponding move.

As relayed by Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer on X, Realmuto missed a few games in May due to knee soreness and has been “tolerating” the injury since. The Phils were planning to give Realmuto more rest for the issue but it seems it was decided that surgery was the necessary path forward.

More information will perhaps be provided about when the club expects Realmuto to return but he’ll surely be out multiple weeks. Just over a year ago, Realmuto’s teammate Cristian Pache underwent a lateral meniscectomy on his right knee with the Phils announcing an expected absence of four to six weeks.

Pache was indeed able to return in that time frame, though it can’t necessarily be assumed that Realmuto is slated for a similar absence. For one thing, each injury is different and individuals heal at different rates. Realmuto is 33 years old now while Pache was 24 years old last year. It’s also possible that the club may be cautious with Realmuto given that he’s a catcher and bending at the knees is such a regular part of the gig.

For however long he’s out, it’s a rough blow for the Phils, as Realmuto has been one of the best catchers in the league for quite some time. They are also without Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh and Kody Clemens, so they now have four position players on the injured list.

Realmuto has hit .261/.309/.411 this year with seven home runs, leading to a wRC+ of 105. He’s also generally graded as one of the best catchers at stifling the running game. Since being acquired by the Phillies from the Marlins prior to the 2019 season, he has slashed .266/.330/.463 for a 112 wRC+ and produced 22.1 wins above replacement in the eyes of FanGraphs.

His absence will leave the Phils with just two healthy catchers on their 40-man roster in Marchán and Garrett Stubbs, which is less than ideal. Stubbs has a career batting line of .213/.289/.316 along with fairly uninspiring grades for his glovework. Marchán has hit .242/.331/.342 in the minors since the start of 2021 and has just 65 major league plate appearances, though he does have a strong defensive reputation.

With Realmuto likely back in a few weeks, the club won’t be looking to replace Realmuto with a blockbuster deal, but they may keep their eyes open for smaller transactions. The Mets just designated Tomás Nido for assignment and also released Omar Narváez last week. If Realmuto experiences some setback between now and the deadline, perhaps the Phils will look to trade for someone like Danny Jansen, Elias Díaz or Carson Kelly, though it’s not clear those players would be available and the Phils will surely be hoping they don’t even have to think about such a plan.

For now, there may be no need to panic. The Phils have the best winning percentage in baseball and have a nine-game lead over Atlanta in the National League East. Even if Realmuto’s absence hurts them a little going forward, they have a nice cushion and will likely be getting him back somewhere in the vicinity of the trade deadline.

Phillies Sign Cam Gallagher To Minor League Deal

By Nick Deeds | February 25, 2024 at 10:09am CDT

The Phillies and catcher Cam Gallagher are in agreement on a minor league deal, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The deal includes an invitation to big league Spring Training, and Gelb indicates that Gallagher is already in camp with the team.

The 31-year-old Gallagher has participated in parts of seven big league seasons, the first six of which were spent in the Royals organization. That included a stretch from 2019-21 where Gallagher served as the primary backup to franchise face Salvador Perez. During that time, Gallagher hit .251/.315/.364 across 118 games, good for an 82 wRC+ that, while below average, was fairly in line with expectations for a glove-first back-up catcher. On defense, Gallagher boasted strong framing numbers with an impressive +11 Defensive Runs Saved during his time with the Royals.

Kansas City dealt Gallagher to the Padres just before the 2022 trade deadline, though he did not appear in a big league game before being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Orioles in September. Gallagher was then outrighted off the club’s 40-man roster after the season without having made an appearance in Baltimore, allowing him to test free agency for the first time in his career. That led him to sign a minor league deal with the Guardians last January, with whom he made the Opening Day roster as one of two back-up options to Mike Zunino on the club’s bench.

Gallagher’s time in Cleveland saw him continue to flash defensive excellence behind the plate, with +5 Framing Runs per Statcast and +7 DRS. That quality work with the glove was unfortunately overshadowed by dismal production at the plate, where Gallagher hit just .126/.154/.168 in 149 trips to the plate with the Guardians last year. That production translated to a -17 wRC+, the worst figure among all hitters with at least 100 plate appearances last year. Those brutal numbers at the plate led the Guardians to designate Gallagher for assignment back in November, returning him to free agency.

Now with the Phillies, Gallagher figures to offer the club a quality, glove-first depth option behind the club’s established duo of J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs. The only other catcher currently on Phildelphia’s 40-man roster, switch-hitting youngster Rafael Marchan, has been sidelined this spring with a back injury according to Gelb. By adding Gallagher, the Phillies protect themselves from further injuries during camp thinning out their depth behind the plate entering the 2024 campaign as they look to return to the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Phillies Release Michael Plassmeyer

By Darragh McDonald | June 20, 2023 at 2:20pm CDT

The Phillies announced that catcher Rafael Marchán has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, left-hander Michael Plassmeyer has been released.

Marchán has been on the injured list all year due to a fracture of his hamate bone. He’s now healthy but the club will stick with its catching tandem of J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs, which squeezes Marchán down to Lehigh Valley for the time being.

But his activation from the IL means that he needs his spot on the 40-man roster again, which has bumped Plassmeyer off his. The lefty was first added to the club’s roster last August and pitched in a couple of games, posting a 3.68 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. He’s been kept in Triple-A this year, tossing 44 innings over 10 starts and one relief appearance. He had a 6.95 ERA in that time and went on the minor league injured list three weeks ago.

Injured players are not permitted to be placed on outright waivers, per MLB rules. The Phillies could have recalled him and placed him on the 60-day injured list at the major league level in order to open a roster spot, but doing so would have meant paying him at major league rates. They seemingly weren’t willing to do that but still wanted the roster spot, so they’ve opted for the release instead.

Phillies Place Rafael Marchan On 60-Day Injured List

By Anthony Franco | March 30, 2023 at 12:04pm CDT

The Phillies have placed catcher Rafael Marchán on the 60-day injured list due to a fractured right hamate bone, the club announced. The move clears a 40-man roster spot for Rule 5 selection Noah Song, who was reinstated from military leave. Song won’t go onto the active roster, as he’s being placed on the 15-day IL due to a lower back strain.

Marchán missed most of Spring Training with the wrist issue. The Phils had previously called it a contusion, but today’s revelation of a fracture obviously paints a dimmer picture. He’s now officially out until at least May without much further clarity on his recovery timeline. Marchán played in 23 MLB games between 2020-21 and was the third catcher on the roster behind J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs. He’s coming off a .233/.316/.358 showing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Philadelphia selected Song away from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft. Regarded as a potential first-round talent a few years ago, the righty fell to the fourth because of club concerns about his military commitments. Those have prevented him throwing a single pitch in full season ball but the Phils still rolled the dice to add him to camp. They’ll have to keep him on the active roster or MLB injured list if they don’t want to offer him back to Boston. For now, the back soreness buys Philadelphia some time to gauge his progress before facing that call.

Phillies Dealing With Injuries To Pitching And Catching Depth

By Darragh McDonald | March 15, 2023 at 7:40pm CDT

The Phillies announced a batch of injuries to reporters, including Matt Gelb of The Athletic (Twitter links). Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez and right-hander Nick Nelson have both been shut down, due to triceps soreness and a moderate hamstring injury, respectively. Catcher Garrett Stubbs is headed for an MRI on his sore right knee while fellow backstop Rafael Marchán hasn’t played in eight days and can’t currently hit due to a bruised right hamate.

Sánchez, 26, has made just 22 major league appearances thus far in his career, but he notched a strong 3.14 ERA in Triple-A last year. He struck out 24.4% of batters faced at that level, walked just 8.4% and got grounders at a very strong 62% clip.

As of a few weeks ago, he wasn’t expected to be a key piece of the club’s rotation, but some recent developments have thinned out the club’s depth in that department. Andrew Painter has been shut down with a UCL sprain while Ranger Suárez has been dealing with some forearm tightness. Painter will be shut down for four weeks, taking him out of consideration for the Opening Day rotation. Suárez, meanwhile, has been throwing but it’s still unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the season. Gelb also relays that the club is encouraged by his progress but his overall timelines are still murky.

The club should still have a strong front of their rotation, with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker taking three spots. Bailey Falter previously seemed like he would have to compete with Painter for a spot but that’s no longer the case, likely pushing him into the mix. The fifth spot could go to Suárez if he’s healthy enough to take it. If not, Sánchez would have been in the mix to jump in there but that’s probably not on the table any longer. The club hasn’t provided a timeline on his expected absence but the fact that he has been shut down from throwing with just two weeks until Opening Day isn’t encouraging.

If none of Painter, Suárez or Sánchez are available, the Phils have Michael Plassmeyer and James McArthur on their 40-man roster. Arthur has yet to reach Triple-A and only made 13 Double-A starts last year due to injury. Plassmeyer has two big league appearances and tossed 128 1/3 Triple-A innings last year with a 4.21 ERA.

In the case of Nelson, he was going to be in the mix for a job in the club’s bullpen. He tossed 68 2/3 innings for the club last year with a 4.85 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, 11.8% walk rate and 39.8% ground ball rate. It doesn’t seem as though his injury is too severe, though he’s been shut down for the moment. As a reliever, he’ll have an easier time getting back into game shape than a starter like Sánchez.

In terms of the catching situation, those two ailments are noteworthy for the club since they have just three backstops on their 40-man roster. J.T. Realmuto has a lock on the starting job but the Phils will need a backup. Stubbs and Marchan would be the likely candidates for such a job, since they are the other two on the roster, but they are both question marks now due to these setbacks.

Stubbs, 30 in May, was acquired from the Astros prior to the 2022 campaign and ended up having a nice season as Realmuto’s backup. He got into 50 games and hit .264/.350/.462 for a wRC+ of 128. He was recently participating in the World Baseball Classic for Team Israel but departed when this knee issue popped up. Marchan, 24, only has 23 games of big league experience and was likely ticketed for more time in the minors behind Realmuto and Stubbs.

At this point, the path forward for both players is still unclear but there are concerns in both cases. Stubbs’ injury is significant enough to require an MRI while Marchan has already been out of action for over a week. Even if he suddenly heals up, he’ll need some time to get back into game shape. If the Phils eventually need someone else to step up and take on the backup job, they have a few catchers in camp as non-roster invitees, including Aramis Garcia and John Hicks.

Phillies Return Nick Duron, Bubby Rossman To Minors

By Anthony Franco | July 13, 2022 at 10:51pm CDT

The Phillies announced tonight they’ve returned relievers Nick Duron and Bubby Rossman to the minor leagues. Duron heads to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, while Rossman goes back to Double-A Reading. Both players had their contracts selected as designated COVID-19 substitutes for the Phils’ set in Toronto, so neither will occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.

Philadelphia also returned catcher Rafael Marchán and optioned infielder Will Toffey to Triple-A. Those players will remain on the 40-man — Marchán because he’d been added to the roster well before his latest callup, Toffey because he wasn’t designated as a substitute player upon being selected to the big leagues today.

Duron and Rossman each soaked up a mop-up inning during tonight’s 8-2 loss to the Jays. The former worked around a pair of hits to record a scoreless frame. Rossman served up a two-run homer to Teoscar Hernández. It was a purposefully brief promotion for both as the Phils navigated the loss of four players for the series because of travel restrictions. Both righties got the opportunity to make their major league debuts, and they’ll head back to the minors hoping to earn a more lasting look at some point down the line.

The moves clear roster space for the reinstatement of the four players on the restricted list. Each of Kyle Gibson, Aaron Nola, Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto will be permitted to rejoin the club for their weekend series in Miami.

Phillies Announce Several Roster Moves

By Darragh McDonald | July 12, 2022 at 4:40pm CDT

The Phillies have announced several roster moves ahead of tonight’s series opener in Toronto. Since unvaccinated players aren’t eligible to cross the Canada-U.S. border, each new home series for the Blue Jays leads to a handful of players on the opposing team landing on the restricted list instead of making the trip. In the case of the Phils, they have four players not with the team up north. Catcher J.T. Realmuto, infielder Alec Bohm, right-handers Kyle Gibson and Aaron Nola have all been placed on the restricted list. To fill two of those roster spots, catcher Rafael Marchan has been recalled, while right-hander Nick Duron has had his contract selected. Both Marchan and Duron were identified as “substitute players,” meaning they can be returned to the minors without being exposed to waivers.

Duron, 26, will make his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. Originally a 31st round pick of Boston in 2015, he spent a few years in the system of the Red Sox and then the Mariners. The Phillies signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason and sent him to Triple-A.

Through 28 innings with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Duron has a 2.57 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate and 42.6% ground ball rate. However, he also has a concerning 12.3% walk rate, something that has been a theme for his in recent years. The last time he posted a walk rate lower than 10.6% was back in 2018. Still, the strikeouts are helping limit the damage enough to earn a big league look. It’s likely to be just temporary, however, with Duron likely to be removed from the roster once the Phillies get back from Toronto.

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