Realmuto and Schwarber remain out of Phillies vs. Mets originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
NEW YORK — The Phillies began a two-game series at Citi Field on Monday without their starting catcher and designated hitter. JT Realmuto missed his second straight game with soreness in his right knee and Kyle Schwarber missed his third straight game with soreness in his lower back.
Both are hoping to avoid the injured list, although with a short turnaround from Monday’s 7:10 pm game to Tuesday’s 1:10 pm game, they could also miss Game 2.
Before missing the final two games of the Marlins series, Schwarber played 354 of 363 in the regular season as a Phillie. On Saturday, after missing just one game, he said he was eager to get back into the lineup. “The boys are raking it in,” he said with a bit of FOMO.
Schwarber entered the cage on Monday afternoon and “looked really good,” according to coach Rob Thomson. Realmuto felt a little better on Monday than he did on Sunday, when he was eliminated from the lineup three hours before the game.
“We’ll just follow them day to day,” Thomson said.
It wasn’t surprising to see the Phillies give Schwarber at least one extra day with left-hander Sean Manaea starting for the Mets. Nearly 90 percent of the appearances against Manaea this season have come from right-handed hitters, but starting Schwarber would mean five lefties in the starting lineup with Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and Stubbs.
Realmuto has not had tests done on his knee, which has been barking for just over a week. “That’s the level of concern we are at right now,” Thomson said, indicating that concerns have not increased.
The Phillies have very little depth behind Realmuto, one of their three most indispensable players. Backup Garrett Stubbs has started just 32 games behind the plate in each of the last two seasons. He hit .220/.303/.343 in 276 appearances as a Phillie. The organization values his game-planning ability and the energy he brings, but there is an obvious divide between Realmuto and just about any backup catcher.
Rafael Marchan is the only other catcher on the Phillies’ 40-man roster. The Phils like the 25-year-old’s defensive ability, but he has had trouble staying on the field the past two seasons due to hamstring, hand and back injuries. Marchan is expected to finally return to games on Tuesday in extended spring training.
