J.T. Realmuto expected to miss ‘a few days,’ but the Phillies are confident he’ll avoid the injured list

MIAMI — J.T. Realmuto sat on a couch in the Phillies’ clubhouse, his left leg elevated and two electrodes pressed to his knee. After a while, he got up and hobbled in the direction of the trainer’s room.

“It’s going to be a few days,” manager Rob Thomson said, before the star catcher plays again.

And yet, the Phillies felt fortunate that it wasn’t worse.

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Realmuto bruised his knee after fouling off a pitch in the second inning Friday night. He initially stayed in the game before being replaced in the fourth by backup catcher Garrett Stubbs.

The Phillies are confident that Realmuto will dodge a trip to the injured list, a move that would sideline him for a minimum of 10 days. But he was sore and swollen on Saturday, so the Phillies selected the contract of 31-year-old catcher Aramis Garcia from triple A to help cover them while he heals.

“There’s a little bit of swelling in there,” Thomson said, “so we’ve got to knock that out.”

Realmuto, the iron man of major-league catchers, had resumed his usual workload after having surgery on his right knee in June and missing 32 games. Since his return on July 20, he started 35 of 43 games and was batting .276 with five homers and a .792 OPS.

It’s notable that this injury is to the other knee.

Rafael Marchan, who filled in ably while Realmuto was out earlier in the season, is out with a left shoulder impingement. So, the Phillies called up Garcia, a .163 hitter with eight homers and a .505 OPS in triple A. He has 116 games of major-league experience with the Giants, Athletics, and Reds.

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To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Garcia, reliever Nick Nelson was designated for assignment for the second time in a month.

The Phillies were relatively healthy when the week began. But left fielder Austin Hays (kidney infection) and All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm (strained left hand) went on the injured list within the last few days.

Oh, and Bryce Harper is playing through a sore right elbow and wrist.

But the Phillies aren’t alone among World Series contenders who are coping with health issues. The Dodgers, for instance, recently put starters Clayton Kershaw (toe) and Gavin Stone (shoulder) on the injured list, joining fellow starter Tyler Glasnow (elbow).

The Phillies began play Saturday needing a combination of 14 victories or Braves losses to clinch their first division title since 2011. They also were leading the Dodgers by one game for the best record in the National League — and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Once they nail down the division, and especially if they’re able to secure a first-round bye, Thomson said he will aim to scale back the workloads of several players, including Realmuto.

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For now, the prognosis that Realmuto won’t miss much time has the Phillies breathing a sigh of relief.

“Big time,” Thomson said.

“The biggest goal in the next 25 days or so is to just keep everybody healthy,” shortstop Trea Turner said. “Sometimes you can’t avoid stuff like that, and it’s not always good to think like that. But I think it’s kind of in the back of our minds. You want to get through this month healthy and have a good shot at the postseason.”

Seth Johnson met the Phillies in Miami and is set to start Sunday against the Marlins. It will be the 25-year-old righty’s major-league debut.

“It hasn’t really set in yet,” Johnson said. “It’s pretty cool.”

The Phillies acquired Johnson and fellow pitching prospect Moisés Chace from the Orioles in a deadline trade for lefty reliever Gregory Soto. They weren’t expecting to call up Johnson this season, but it became necessary when Tyler Phillips gave up six first-inning runs in his last start and got sent back to triple A with a 6.87 ERA.

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Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski noted the rarity of calling up a pitcher that they haven’t seen in person. But reports on Johnson from the minor-league staff have been positive. And he gave up one run in 16 innings in three triple A starts.

“I walked in, and I was surprised to see this new guy in the clubhouse. I really didn’t know who it was,” Thomson said. “But he’s pitched pretty well. Just looking at the tape, he looks good. He looks like he’s throwing strikes. Delivery’s good. The stuff plays. He said he’s ready to go.”

It’s unclear if Johnson will make more than one start. The Phillies are monitoring his innings in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. He has thrown 88⅔ innings so far after only 10⅓ last year.

Also, triple-A lefty Kolby Allard can be recalled from his latest option next week and could be a No. 5 starter candidate.

Johnson said he has noticed one difference between the pitching philosophies of the Orioles and Phillies.

“Baltimore is very data-based. I think here is a nice blend of the numbers and baseball strategy, kind of old school,” said Johnson, whose parents, stepmother, fiancée, brother, and sister-in-law will attend Sunday’s game. “It’s kind of simplified everything. It’s just doing basic things, moving the fastball around, and not really worrying about pitch shapes all the time. It’s just going out there and just trying to pitch.”

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The Phillies claimed reliever Jose Cuas off waivers from the Blue Jays and optioned him to triple A. The 30-year-old righty has a 4.37 ERA in 132 major-league appearances. Triple-A infielder Rodolfo Castro was moved to the 60-day injured list, opening a 40-man roster spot for Cuas. Castro had season-ending thumb surgery. ... Johnson will be opposed Sunday by Marlins righty Edward Cabrera (3-6, 5.33 ERA).