The Phillies had to shuffle things around before Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers. Garrett Stubbs is headed to the 10-day injured list with left wrist inflammation, and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz got the call from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his spot on the roster.
Stubbs has been Philadelphia’s backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto this season. He’s hitting .179 with two RBIs, which isn’t great. But the team is probably more concerned about his wrist than his bat right now. Inflammation is usually a better diagnosis than something structural, but there’s no timeline for his return yet. The Phillies are going to be careful with this one.
This is a guy who has appeared in 46 games this year and logged time behind the plate when Realmuto needs a day off. With Stubbs out, Philadelphia’s depth at catcher gets a little thin. They’ll likely carry just two catchers on the active roster for now, which is standard. But if something happens to Realmuto during a game, things could get interesting.
De La Cruz is the interesting part here. He hasn’t played a single game for the Phillies yet. He was acquired from the Pirates earlier this season but never got into a game before this call-up. He hit 19 home runs in 2023 and 21 in 2024, which is decent power. But this year he’s been in a slump. He hit .200 with the Pirates before the trade and hasn’t really turned it around in Triple-A. The Phillies are hoping he can give them a spark off the bench, maybe put a couple over the wall when they need it.
What this means for the Phillies right now
Philadelphia is sitting at 56-45 and holding a four-game lead for a Wild Card spot. They’re also three games back in the NL East. Every game matters. They’re chasing a deep playoff run and they need production from everyone on the roster. Stubbs wasn’t exactly tearing it up offensively but he’s a solid defender and the pitchers like throwing to him. Losing him for even a week or two means Realmuto is going to catch more innings, which is fine for now but could wear on him later.
De La Cruz isn’t a catcher obviously, so his role will be outfield or DH. He could get some at-bats against lefties maybe. The Phillies are still figuring out where he fits. The team hasn’t confirmed whether Stubbs will need more than the minimum 10 days. They’re calling it inflammation and they’re playing it safe. For now, that’s all anyone knows.
The Dodgers game Tuesday was already going to be tough. Now the Phillies are down a catcher and rolling the dice on a guy who hasn’t found his swing yet. Plenty of roster moves are coming. That much is certain.
Leave a Comment