Notes: J.T. among injury updates; Bohm sick

The Phillies have been hit hard with injuries over the past several days and weeks. Here is the latest on each relevant sidelining.

J.T. Realmuto
The best-case scenario for Realmuto returning to the Phillies’ lineup might be Monday in Washington. He has not played since Sept. 12 because of a strained left hip flexor.

He planned to increase the intensity of his running Saturday.

“I know yesterday was positive and he felt better when he came in today,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said.

The Phillies signed veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy to a Minor League contract Tuesday and added him to the 60-man player pool. They needed him because they designated catcher Deivy Grullón for assignment on Aug. 31. The Red Sox claimed Grullón off waivers on Sept. 3. Because he was the only other catcher on Philadelphia's 40-man roster, the Phillies promoted 21-year-old Rafael Marchan, who had never played above Class A Advanced Clearwater.

Marchan hit a game-tying home run in Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays. It was the first home run of his professional career.

Jake Arrieta
Arrieta has a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. He will not pitch again in the regular season, but is trying to keep his arm in shape so he can pitch in the postseason.

He played catch Saturday with right-hander Spencer Howard.

“Our hope is to get him back for the playoffs,” Girardi said this week. “I think that’s just kind of wishful thinking for the regular season. We'll just kind of wait and see how the healing process goes and try to keep his arm going through exercises or possibly throwing from a chair or on one knee, so when he’s able to come back, it happens fairly quickly.”

Arrieta’s turn in the rotation is Sunday. The Phillies have not announced a replacement. It could be somebody from the team’s alternate site in Allentown, Pa., but there are no obvious choices.

“I think we felt pretty good about it going into our first Spring Training, but it gets trickier when you have 15- and 16-man pitching staffs already up here,” Girardi said about the organization’s starting pitching depth. “And then you have to add a couple because a couple go down. I think it’s been challenging for a lot of teams, just because there is not a Minor League season and guys aren’t built up to where they would normally be.”

Spencer Howard
Howard played catch for the second consecutive day on Saturday.

He is on the 10-day injured list because of stiffness in his right shoulder. He is eligible to be activated Wednesday, but it is unclear if he will pitch again this season. Typically, if a pitcher is not throwing for a week, he needs at least a week to rebuild his arm strength.

“I think if he has a positive day it could move maybe a little quicker,” Girardi said. “I don’t know what his role would be. We’re kind of playing it day by day since time is short. We’ve just got to see where he’s at.

“He came in and he felt good today. He had a hop in his step yesterday, which was good. I saw him after he threw and he was pretty excited about it. We’ll see how today goes and maybe we can map out a plan for him.”

Rhys Hoskins
Hoskins might need Tommy John surgery in the offseason, but he still hopes to play this year.

He will treat the strained ulnar collateral ligament in his left arm for the next several days, then try to swing a bat a couple days before he is eligible to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday.

“Try to ramp up and see whether or not I can swing a bat normally,” Hoskins said this week. “If I can at that point, we’ll probably give it a go, if I don’t have any hesitation. If not, then we’ll have to have another conversation about what the best plan of action is. I know surgery is not off the table, but I do know that it’s not a necessity per se, depending on how it responds.”

Shohei Ohtani had a similar injury with the Angels in 2018. He missed 26 days. There are only eight days remaining in the '20 regular season.

“I’m bummed and frustrated more than anything,” Hoskins said. “We spent these last 45-50 games battling. We had some obstacles that we’ve overcome. To continue to be a part of the group that overcame those obstacles is something that I was really looking forward to. I wanted to be able to finish that and see it through. Now, obviously, there’s still a chance that I will get to do that, but not being able to do that in such an important part of the season is tough.”

If Hoskins has surgery in the offseason, he believes the recovery time would be three to four months since it is his non-throwing arm, which could have him ready by Spring Training.

The Phillies signed veteran first baseman Greg Bird to a Minor League contract on Tuesday and added him to the 60-man player pool. Girardi managed Bird with the Yankees in 2015 and ‘17. Bird was once considered the Yanks’ first baseman of the future, but injuries derailed his career, including a torn labrum in his right shoulder that caused him to miss the entire '16 season.

“When he first came up, he was a big part of our lineup,” Girardi said. “He’s had a lot of ankle and foot problems, which is where your base starts. That’s very difficult. My hope for him, and us, is that he’s over those, and if we need him, he can be a real help at first base with his bat.”

José Álvarez
Álvarez (testicular contusion) is not eligible to be activated from the 45-day injured list until Oct. 5. The National League Division Series begins Oct. 6, so Álvarez potentially could rejoin the team for the second round.

Kyle Garlick
Garlick landed on the 10-day IL on Wednesday with a strained right oblique. He had an MRI exam on Wednesday, but the club has not yet released the results.