Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said that catcher J.T. Realmuto will have surgery to clean up the meniscus in his right knee, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia:
JT Realmuto will have surgery Friday to clean up meniscus in right knee. Gabe Kapler said no long term concerns.
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) September 25, 2019
The 28-year-old will shut it down for the rest of the season now that the Phillies have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
Realmuto has been one of the best catchers in the game this season, slashing .275/.328/.493 with 25 homers and leading all catchers in fWAR.
The Phillies acquired Realmuto from the Miami Marlins last winter, and they have remained steadfast in their desire to begin extension talks with their young catcher. Realmuto has a final year of arbitration in 2020 before he hits the open market, and the Phillies acquired him with the idea of signing him to an extension.
Not only has Realmuto been one of the most productive hitters at the plate over the course of the last four seasons, but he has also developed into one of the best backstops in the game.
Realmuto ranked second only to Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez with 12 Defensive Runs Saved, and he actually posted the best defensive value of any catcher in the league, according to FanGraphs.
Indeed, Realmuto has thrown out 43 runners this season, and his caught stealing percentage is the best in the bigs. He also ranks third in terms of framing–though with a league-high in chances–according to Baseball Prospectus.
Unfortunately, Realmuto's skills behind the plate hardly helped a Phillies pitching staff that has been among the worst in baseball in 2019. Philadelphia's pitchers rank 23rd in fWAR.
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