Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto needs knee surgery, placed on injured list

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto needs surgery on his right knee and has been placed on the injured list.

The Phillies announced the news Tuesday ahead of a series against the Boston Red Sox. Realmuto is scheduled to undergo a meniscectomy to address lingering knee pain on Wednesday. A timeline for his recovery and return wasn't initially clear.

The Phillies didn't reveal the extent of the damage to Realmuto's meniscus. Per the National Library of Medicine, a meniscectomy is typically performed "to alleviate knee pain" in "patients with meniscal tears that are degenerative in nature."

The Phillies have called up catcher Rafael Marchán from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Realmuto's place on the roster.

A three-time All-Star, Realmuto is integral on offense and defense for a Phillies team that's off to an NL-best 45-20 start. The Phillies are seeking their second World Series appearance in three seasons and will presumably hope that Realmuto can undergo the procedure and recover in time to be healthy for the stretch run and the postseason.

A career .272/.329/.453 hitter, Realmuto is slashing .261/.309/.411 with seven home runs, 20 RBI and 28 runs scored through 51 games. He has sat out 14 of Philadelphia's 65 games as he's dealt with knee pain.

Per the Athletic, Realmuto has been dealing with knee pain since early May. He has slashed .135/.200/.189 in a nine-game stretch while playing through the pain.

Realmuto joined the Phillies via trade from the Miami Marlins in 2019 and has made two of his three career All-Star appearances with Philadelphia. With Realmuto behind the plate, the Phillies have made the playoffs the past two seasons and advanced to the World Series (2022) and NLCS (2023).

They currently hold a nine-game lead in the NL East over the second-place Atlanta Braves, who are dealing with season-ending injuries to reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and preseason Cy Young hopeful Spencer Strider.