JT Realmuto heads to the IL, Garrett Stubbs is back and the Phillies can’t catch a break

Drew Smith
April 22, 2026
Phillies
1 Comment

Because this team needed more bad news, JT Realmuto is going on the 10-day injured list with a lower back injury. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported the move on Tuesday.

JT Realmuto missed Sunday and Monday’s games with lower back soreness, came back for Tuesday night against the Cubs, and apparently it wasn’t enough and just like that, he’s now on the shelf.

JT Realmuto on the IL and Garrett Stubbs is BACK

Garrett Stubbs this season with AAA Lehigh Valley:

38 AB | 11 H | 4 2B | 3 HR | 8 RBI | 7 BB | 10 K |
3 SB | .289/.413/.632pic.twitter.com/KztRRvfed7
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) April 22, 2026

This is the same back issue that forced JT Realmuto out of the game early last week. The Phillies tried to play through it and it didn’t work.

For a team sitting at 8-15 with a seven-game losing streak and an offense that has been historically lifeless, losing one of their most consistent hitters is about the last thing they could afford right now. Realmuto was hitting .259 with a .696 OPS in 17 games.

Not spectacular numbers but for this lineup in April, that was actually one of the better contributions. He’s also been excellent behind the plate with the new ABS system, which makes the loss even bigger than the batting average suggests.

Garrett Stubbs is coming back. He’ll be added to the 40-man roster and is expected to split time with Rafael Marchan while Realmuto recovers. The Phillies have to make a corresponding move to get Stubbs on the 40-man.

Marchan has been brutal at the plate this year. Two hits in 32 at-bats. That’s a .063 batting average from your backup catcher. Having Stubbs back at least gives the Phillies another option, and he’s actually been swinging it well at Triple-A.

In 38 at-bats with the IronPigs, Stubbs is hitting .289 with three home runs, eight RBI, and a 1.045 OPS. That’s legitimately impressive and if any of that carries over to the big league level, the Phillies might actually get more offensive production from the catcher spot than they’ve been getting from half their regular starters.

Still, I wouldn’t hold your breath.

The injuries keep piling up. Duran is on the IL. Realmuto is on the IL. The offense can’t score. The losing streak won’t stop. And the Phillies are running out of bodies and excuses.