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Salisbury: Phillies can survive temporary loss of J.T. Realmuto. It’s one of their strengths

June 12, 2024

Jun 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) tags out Milwaukee Brewers third base Oliver Dunn (15) at the plate during the tenth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

A week after having knee surgery in June 2013, former Phillies catcher Erik Kratz was at a charity event when someone asked how his rehab program was going.
Wearing a jacket and tie, Kratz folded his 6-foot-4-inch frame and went into a full catcher’s squat.
Question answered.
Kratz will be the first to admit he’s not J.T. Realmuto. Few are. Few have been. But he was a major-league catcher for 11 seasons – 19 in all as a pro – and he did have a similar injury to the one Realmuto will have surgically repaired on Wednesday.
So, is it realistic that Realmuto could be back catching for the Phillies in a month?
“Definitely,” Kratz said Tuesday night. “Definitely.”
Kratz offered a few disclaimers.
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