PHILADELPHIA — This isn’t how J.T. Realmuto envisioned his return to the Phillies.
After signing the largest free-agent contract ever for a catcher last month, Realmuto fractured a bone at the base of his right thumb while blocking a curveball in the dirt in a pre-spring training workout.
Realmuto and Phillies manager Joe Girardi are hopeful that the star catcher will be ready for opening day.
The injury occurred last week but wasn’t discovered until Realmuto felt pain while throwing Wednesday and underwent an MRI exam. The star catcher will have his thumb in a cast for two weeks, at which point he will be reevaluated.
“We’re obviously going to be cautious with it,” Realmuto said. “I think that’s why we’re immobilizing it, just to make sure that it has the time to heal. I feel pretty confident that after that two weeks it’ll be healed because it already feels quite a bit better than it did the day that it happened.”
Realmuto’s free agency was the primary issue for the Phillies in the offseason. He signed a five-year, $115.5 million contract last month, topping Brian McCann’s five-year, $85 million deal as the record for a free-agent catcher.
In Realmuto’s absence, backup catcher Andrew Knapp figures to move into the primary role. The Phillies have 21-year-old rookie Rafael Marchan on the roster as a potential backup. They also signed 38-year-old veteran Jeff Mathis to a minor-league contract last week.
