J.T. Realmuto suffers broken thumb that’ll sideline him at least 1 month

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is already set to miss some time after signing his new contract this offseason.

Philadelphia Phillies fans got their wish this offseason when the team signed catcher J.T. Realmuto to a five-year, $115.5 million contract. That kept a star in the lineup and maintains a goal of actively trying to compete.

Unfortunately, there is already bad news surrounding Realmuto. ESPN’s Jeff Passan shared a Realmuto injury that will sideline the catcher for at least a month.

Realmuto breaks his thumb

This sure is a bad way to start the year. The good news is that he is expected to be back for Opening Day. Someone with Realmuto’s experience should not have his year derailed by this short injury timetable.

But it always seems to be something with this Phillies team and fans may not like this omen to start the season. The club has not been to the postseason since 2011 and has also not finished above .500 since then either.

Realmuto and Bryce Harper brought real star-power to town and fans are waiting to see the money spent turn into wins.

Realmuto racked up the awards in 2019 by making the All-Star Game and winning a Gold Glove and Sliver Slugger. He had a bit of a down year in 2020, but that came in only 47 games.

Signing him to a new deal was the club’s most important move of the offseason. The Miami Marlins traded all their stars away and the Phillies were lucky enough to land Realmuto. Having him in town for two seasons and letting him walk would have been a disaster.

This thumb injury is something that should be forgotten about once the season actually begins and Realmuto is in the lineup. If it lingers, then fans can start to worry.