When J.T. Realmuto took a pitch to the knee from Jose Alvarado at 100 miles-per-hour on Tuesday night and missed Wednesday night's game, an Injured List stint seemed to be a concern. It turns out, Realmuto would need to be placed on the Injured List. However, it's not for that play.
The Phillies announced on Thursday that they have placed Realmuto on the COVID-19-related Injured List.
This does not necessarily mean that Realmuto has an active COVID-19 infection. He may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive, or, a player could be placed on the list if they develop symptoms after vaccination.
Unlike the traditional Injured List, Realmuto does not need to be out for 10 days.
To replace Realmuto, the Phillies recalled catcher Rafael Marchan from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Marchan is 4 for 16 (.250 average) in the early going at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Expect Andrew Knapp to do the bulk of the catching while Realmuto is out.
