10 J.T. Realmuto C

Realmuto is a candidate to lead off this season, at least until Andrew McCutchen (knee) returns from the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto batted everywhere from second to fifth last season. A catcher leading off would certainly be unusual, but Realmuto has good speed for the position, stealing at least eight bases in four of the last five seasons. His .328 on-base percentage from last season is hardly an elite mark for a leadoff man, but he's been as high as .343 in that category in the past. If he does move up to the leadoff spot, expect a few extra runs, offset by a slight drop in RBI. Scott Kingery, Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn were also mentioned by manager Joe Girardi as options for the role.

Realmuto (knee) is in the lineup for Sunday's spring game against the Pirates, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto's 2019 campaign came to a close when he underwent surgery to address a meniscus issue in his right knee, but his recovery went as planned over the offseason, and he is ready to jump into action Sunday. Realmuto will start behind the plate and hit second in the Phillies' batting order.

Realmuto (knee) will make $10 million in 2020 after losing his arbitration case, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto was seeking $12.4 million, though his $10 million payday is still an arbitration record for a catcher, per Feinsand. The backstop hit .275/.328/.493 with 25 home runs and nine stolen bases in his first year with the Phillies. He underwent season-ending knee surgery last September, though it isn't expected to affect his availability for the start of the season.

Realmuto will undergo season-ending surgery Friday to clean up the meniscus in his right knee, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

Realmuto has been shut down for the remainder of the season a day after the Phillies were eliminated from the playoffs. Manager Gabe Kapler confirmed there is no long-term concern regarding the injury; Realmuto should be ready to go by the time spring training rolls around. The backstop impressed in his first season with the Phillies, appearing in a career-high 145 games while slashing .275/.328/.493 with 25 home runs, 83 RBI and nine steals. Look for Andrew Knapp and Deivy Grullon to see time behind the dish in place of Realmuto.

Realmuto (knee) remains on the bench for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Nationals.

The Phillies' loss in the afternoon game eliminated them from playoff contention, so it's hardly surprising that Realmuto won't be rushed back from a sore knee. Whether or not he returns at any point over the final week of the season remains to be seen.

Realmuto (knee) is not in the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader in Washington.

Realmuto's absence is no surprise, as he underwent an MRI on his sore knee Monday. The results of that test have not yet been released, but the Phillies are likely to be cautious down the stretch with the star catcher. Deivi Grullon gets his first career start behind the plate.

Realmuto's absence from the lineup Monday in Washington is due to a sore right knee, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

The injury helps explain why the catcher finds himself on the bench for the second time in four games. He'll undergo an MRI on Monday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports, though he's not particularly concerned about the severity of the issue. Regardless of the results of that test, there's a chance the Phillies don't bother bringing Realmuto back this season, as there's little reason to risk further injuring a key player with the team effectively out of the playoff race.

Realmuto is not starting Monday against the Nationals.

With the Phillies now six games out of a wild-card spot with seven games left to play, they may not ask Realmuto to handle his typically heavy workload down the stretch. Andrew Knapp starts behind the plate for the second time in four games.

Realmuto was held out of Friday's lineup in order to rest, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

The Phillies will attempt to keep pace in the playoff race Friday night without their starting catcher playing a full nine innings, but manager Gabe Kapler said it was simply time for Realmuto to take a break after starting the last nine games. Realmuto figures to play plenty the rest of the way, but he could get another day or two off with the Phillies playing 10 games in nine days following Friday's contest.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Indians.

Realmuto's absence raises an eyebrow, as he owns an .884 OPS in September and the Phillies have a DH spot available while playing in an AL park. Realmuto has started all but two games this month, so it's possible he is simply getting a day off. Regardless, Andrew Knapp will handle the catching duties for the Phillies on Friday night.

Realmuto went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's victory over the Braves.

The 28-year-old catcher extended Philadelphia's lead with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. The long ball was his 25th of the season, good for fourth among all catchers, while he's slashing .279/.332/.504.

Realmuto went 1-for-3 with a walk and solo home run Tuesday against the Braves.

Realmuto took Max Fried deep in the first inning to record his 24th home run of the campaign. He's hit the ball of late, and this performance extended his hitting streak to seven games. In that span, he's smacked four home runs while recording nine RBI and seven runs scored. For the season, Realmuto is slashing .282/.333/.504 across 136 games.

Realmuto is not in the lineup Sunday against the Mets.

Realmuto has been on a tear over his last five games, going 10-for-22 with three homers and eight RBI. He'll sit Sunday, with Andrew Knapp filling in behind the plate.

Realmuto went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Mets.

His two-run blast off Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning looked like it would send the game to extra innings, until Nick Vincent walked in the winning run in the bottom of the frame. Realmuto's .830 OPS is a near match for the .824 mark he posted with the Marlins last year, but predictably, the move to the Phillies has boosted his counting stats -- his 23 homers, 78 RBI and 86 runs are all career highs already.

Realmuto is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.

Realmuto drew his 20th consecutive start -- with 19 coming at catcher -- in Sunday night's 5-2 win over the Mets, so he'll just be getting a breather with the Phillies facing a quick turnaround for Monday's series opener. The rest day can only help Realmuto, who went hitless across 11 at-bats over the weekend. Andrew Knapp spells him behind the dish.

Realmuto went 3-for-5 with a triple, a solo home run and two runs in a 12-3 victory against the Pirates on Wednesday.

The Phillies catcher finished just a double shy of the cycle, as he recorded his second three-hit night in the last three days. In the three-game series against the Pirates, Realmuto went 8-for-15 (.533) with three extra-base hits. He is batting .280 with 20 home runs, 69 RBI, 81 runs and seven steals in 464 at-bats this season.

Realmuto went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in Monday's 6-5 win over the Pirates.

Realmuto racked up three singles and scored both his runs on home runs by Brad Miller and Corey Dickerson. The 28-year-old is up to 79 runs scored this season with a .275/.331/.474 triple-slash.

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Padres.

The catcher has now gone deep in back-to-back games and four times in the last five contests, giving him 19 homers and 66 RBI on the season to go with a strong .282/.333/.489 slash line. Realmuto is closing in rapidly on some milestones -- he now sits three home runs and nine RBI short of new career highs in those categories.

Realmuto went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Friday's 8-4 victory over San Diego.

Realmuto smacked a solo home run in the third inning and followed that up with an RBI double to right center in the fifth. The 28-year-old is now slashing .280/.332/.482 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI over 116 games this season.

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a double and a grand slam in Wednesday's 11-1 rout of the Cubs.

The catcher has now gone yard in consecutive games while collecting multiple hits in three straight, boosting Realmuto's slash line through 13 contests in August to .333/.415/.667. His numbers across the board look remarkably similar to his performance in 2017 and 2018, with the difference being that the Phillies still have 42 games left on their schedule for him to pad them further.