‘Quick healer’ J.T. Realmuto takes batting practice with the Phillies

CHICAGO — One day shy of three weeks since undergoing knee surgery, J.T. Realmuto took batting practice on the field with the Phillies.

“He’s a quick healer,” manager Rob Thomson said before Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.

But while Bryce Harper (strained left hamstring) and Kyle Schwarber (left groin strain) remain on track to return to the lineup by next week, the Phillies aren’t expecting Realmuto back until “probably post-All-Star [break],” according to Thomson. The break is scheduled for July 15-18.

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Realmuto had surgery on June 12 to remove torn cartilage from his left knee. The star catcher went through receiving drills before the series opener at Wrigley Field and jogged on the field with Harper and Schwarber.

At the time of the surgery, Realmuto said he hoped to play through the injury. But the Phillies advised him to take care of it now in order to be healthy in the second half of the season and during the playoffs.

“I’m not going to kill myself and push it to come back the five days before the break,” Realmuto said recently. “But if I’m feeling good and the rehab is going well and my body feels right, then I will play that week before to get the games in. For me, I’d rather be able to play those games before the break. But if my body isn’t feeling right, I’m not going to push it.”

In Realmuto’s absence, the Phillies were 10-9 entering the week. Garrett Stubbs has started 11 games behind the plate and gone 10-for-36 with one homer and a .658 OPS; Rafael Marchán has started nine games and gone 7-for-32 with two homers and a .702 OPS.

The Phillies don’t have an exact timeline on Harper and Schwarber, who aren’t eligible to come off the injured list until next Tuesday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. But both are traveling with the team and expected to ramp up baseball activities throughout the week in Chicago and Atlanta.

Neither is expected to miss much time after getting injured last Thursday night and going on the injured list the following day. Thomson said last week that he’s hopeful both will be back before the All-Star break.

“I don’t know a [return] date yet,” Thomson said, “but we’ll know in the next couple days.”

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Before the game, players and coaches wore T-shirts with a photo of one of the half-dozen Phillies who advanced to the final round of the All-Star fan voting. Each finalist — Realmuto, Alec Bohm (third base), Trea Turner (shortstop), Schwarber (DH), and Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh (outfield) — was pictured wearing a cowboy hat because the game will be played in Texas on July 16.

The fan voting at MLB.com ends at noon Wednesday, and the starters at each position will be announced at 7 p.m.

Harper is in line to start for the National League at first base because he received the most votes of any player in the league. According to baseball researcher Sarah Langs, he would become the fourth player to start five All-Star Games as an outfielder and at least one as an infielder, joining Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, and Carl Yastrzemski.

Rookie righty Michael Mercado made his first major-league start Tuesday night. When the Phillies acquired him last November in a trade with the Rays, they viewed him as a reliever. But director of pitching Brian Kaplan thought Mercado’s secondary pitches were good enough to try him as a starter, especially after other triple-A starters struggled early in the season. “Thank God [Kaplan] came up with the idea because it’s really worked out well,” Thomson said. … Sunday marked the first time since May 17, 2005, that the Phillies won a game despite committing five errors. … The Phillies named high-A Jersey Shore infielder William Bergolla and triple-A Lehigh Valley right-hander Max Lazar as their minor league player and pitcher of the month for June. Bergolla batted .421/.507/.596 in 19 games; Lazar didn’t allow a run in 12⅓ innings. … Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.73 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday night against Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga (7-2, 3.07).