Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto open to using DH to keep him fresh through season

CLEARWATER, Fla. — President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said that the Phillies plan to use the newly-instituted universal DH to give players some more rest. Few would benefit from this more than starting catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Realmuto, who is just three days shy of 31, has had his share of injuries, undergoing surgery on his right knee in 2019 and suffering both a left hand contusion and right shoulder soreness in 2021. He says his shoulder is fully healed and that his body feels ready for the season. If he stays healthy, he’d like to catch 140-145 games but concedes that having the ability to keep his bat in the lineup, while not crouching behind the plate, will help his health long-term.

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“[Catching 145 games] is hard to do,” Realmuto said. “It’s really up to [manager] Joe [Girardi]. As long as I’m healthy, and the team is winning, I don’t care how many games I catch. I know there’s wear and tear that comes along with it. And it’s not just about catching more games, it’s about playing well, and staying productive. There’s a fine line there.”

While Realmuto understands that this fine line exists, actually implementing it will be an adjustment. As an eight-year NL veteran, the DH is new to Realmuto. He likes to be involved in every pitch, and the thought of having to sit through an entire half-inning is both foreign and somewhat unappealing, even though he believes the DH is a positive change for the game overall.

“It’s hard not to think about your last at-bat when you’re just sitting there,” he said. “You have an at-bat and then you have an hour to think about it. When you’re catching, you have an at-bat and it’s immediately over, because you have to go out there. It’s something I’ll have to learn to do.

“I’ll talk to some guys that have done it in the past, and have had some success DH-ing, and just ask them what their routines are and how they’ve stayed sharp, how they’ve stayed ready.”

Another, smaller adjustment from Realmuto this season will be in his timing at the plate. Earlier in his career, his stance was a bit wider, and he is now trying to get back to that setup.

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“That’ll allow me to get to the hitting position a little more consistently,” Realmuto said. “I won’t have as much movement pre-pitch. It’s just to make my timing a little more consistent. That was something I battled with last year, just getting there late a little too often, because my move was getting a little too big as the season went on.

“Ever since I went with a leg kick, it’s something that I’ve constantly had to work on, and when I’m not going right that’s usually the issue — the timing — so this is a way for me to feel on time more often, which is the key to hitting. A way to get on time consistently.”

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Realmuto will still have the leg kick, it will just be a little bit smaller. He said he’s been working on it since late last year, but is eager to start using the new stance during the regular season.

“I worked on it a little bit in batting practice, but I wasn’t comfortable doing it in games,” Realmuto said. “So I’ve been working on it a while. It wasn’t a huge swing change. I’ve been trying it in live BP. It’s been a little different. I have to tell myself to slow down, let the ball travel a little bit more, because I have more time to see it. In the long run it’ll be good, but right now it’s an adjustment, timing-wise.”