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Realmuto (illness) is starting at catcher and batting second Tuesday against the Twins, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
He was under the weather for a couple days. Realmuto is batting .235 with one home run in seven games this spring.
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Phillies' J.T. Realmuto: Battling illness
Rotowire
Realmuto has been under the weather the past few days but could return to the Phillies' Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Realmuto has a .786 OPS through 19 plate appearances during spring training, so the illness shouldn't affect his availability for the start of the regular season. The 34-year-old is coming off a 2025 regular season that saw him post his worst OPS (.699) since his second MLB campaign in 2015.
Realmuto is an option to bat cleanup in 2026, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Manager Rob Thomson considers Alec Bohm the favorite for the role, and it sounds like Adolis Garcia is in contention as well. Realmuto enters his age-35 campaign in fairly evident decline, considering his OPS has dropped steadily in each of the past four seasons, but the possibility of hitting fourth in Philadelphia's lineup at least gives him some upside as a late-round catcher option in fantasy drafts.
Phillies' J.T. Realmuto: Back with Phils on three-year deal
Rotowire
The Phillies re-signed Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
The deal can max out at $60 million if Realmuto reaches all of his incentives. The backstop turns 35 in March and has been in a steady decline both offensively and defensively, finishing the 2025 campaign with a .257/.315/.384 batting line and 12 home runs over 134 regular-season contests. However, while Realmuto's best days are behind him, he remains a quality hitter compared to most catchers, still has a great throwing arm and is well-liked in the Phillies' clubhouse.
