J.T. Realmuto’s bruised knee feels ‘much better,’ but Phillies place Edmundo Sosa on the injured list

MIAMI — J.T. Realmuto didn’t hobble as much as he walked through the Phillies’ clubhouse Sunday. He rode a stationary bike and received more treatment. Then, he gave a promising update on his bruised left knee.

“It’s much better today,” the star catcher said, “than it was yesterday.”

And if the residual swelling and fluid continues to subside, manager Rob Thomson said Realmuto will return to the lineup “in the next day or two,” which qualified as the best injury news the Phillies have had in at least a week.

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But it is September, a point in the season when aches and pains tend to mount. So, for the third time in four days, the Phillies put a player on the injured list, with reserve infielder Edmundo Sosa taking a turn because of back spasms. He’s eligible to return on Sept. 17.

Sosa was preparing to hit in the indoor batting cage Saturday when he felt a twinge in his back, according to Thomson. It still lingered before the series finale against the Marlins, prompting a better-safe-than-sorry approach.

The move opened a roster spot for righty Seth Johnson, who made his major-league debut Sunday. The Phillies added infield depth in recent days. They recalled Kody Clemens when rosters expanded on Sept. 1 and Buddy Kennedy when Alec Bohm went on the injured list Friday with a strained left hand.

Sosa joins left fielder Austin Hays (kidney infection) and Bohm as recent additions to the injured list. Sosa’s season was highlighted by a .275 average and .841 OPS in 32 starts while shortstop Trea Turner was out with a hamstring strain. Overall, he’s batting .264 with seven homers and a .756 OPS.

With 19 games left, the Phillies are closing in on their first division title since 2011, as well as a first-round bye in the playoffs. They are also jockeying with the Dodgers for the best record in baseball, a prize that would be accompanied by home-field advantage throughout October.

Each of those goals is important to Thomson.

“If you’ve got a chance to get home-field throughout,” Thomson said, “that one [extra] game [at home] in the World Series can really be the difference-maker.”

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But Thomson said the health of the roster trumps everything. And the Phillies will take care over the season’s final three weeks to manage bumps and bruises while getting players through the finish line.

That’s especially true for the pitchers. Thomson pulled Zack Wheeler at 84 pitches after six innings Friday night with a double-digit lead. He lifted Aaron Nola with two outs in the fourth inning Saturday instead of pushing him beyond 101 pitches to finish the frame.

“For me, it’s all about health, you know?” Thomson said. “Any type of ache or pain, a red flag really goes up, and you really try to knock it out. So, it’s really health that I’m concerned about the most.”

Notwithstanding his 4⅔-inning, five-run dud against the Marlins, Nola is having another solid season, with a 3.41 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 177 innings over 29 starts.

But he has struggled all season with his changeup.

Nola’s best off-speed pitch has long been his curveball. But the changeup was always a dependable companion. He threw it nearly 20% of the time in 2021. Although he used it less last season (12.6%), he held hitters to a .220 average and a .319 slugging percentage.

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But this season, with opponents hitting .300 against the changeup, Nola has thrown it less often (9.8%) than any season since 2016. Given that it hasn’t come around yet, would he consider shelving it?

“Heck no,” he said. “I always try to work on it. For sure, I work on it all the time. It’s just one of those weird years that it hasn’t felt great. But I still work on all my stuff between outings. I’m going to keep doing the same.”

Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs catches most of Nola’s bullpen sessions between starts and was behind the plate Saturday against the Marlins. He said the changeup has lacked its usual action, which has caused Nola to trust it less.

“He hasn’t really felt that comfort level,” Stubbs said. “Even when he does throw some good ones, the thought could creep into your head that there’s a not-so-good one in there. And when you don’t feel like you have your best one, then you kind of starting babying it and it really isn’t good.

“We’ve been working on it. I know we’re in September, but he’s working on it every single day. He’ll get it back. Obviously it’s taken longer than he’s liked, but he’ll get it back.”

Only nine of the Phillies’ last 19 games will be played at home. They are 47-24 at Citizens Bank Park, the best home record in baseball. ... Cristopher Sánchez (10-9, 3.45 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday night against the Rays, his former organization. Tampa Bay is likely to use an opener, followed by lefty Tyler Alexander (6-4, 5.66).