The Philadelphia Phillies extended their losing streak to seven consecutive games on Tuesday, suffering a 7-4 defeat to the Chicago Cubs that left them with an 8-15 record for the 2026 MLB season. The team will attempt to turn things around on Wednesday in the next installment of their four-game series with Chicago at Wrigley Field.
Veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto has generally been performing well in his 13th major league season. The 35-year-old has played in 17 games, recording 14 hits, five runs, and a home run with a .259 batting average. His recent form has dipped, though, as he went without a hit across his last six plate appearances.
The reason for the slump became clear: Realmuto suffered a back injury during Philadelphia’s 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday. He attempted to play through it the following day but had to leave the game early with the same complaint. After missing Sunday and Monday, he returned for Tuesday’s contest against the Cubs but continued to feel discomfort in his lower back.
On Wednesday, the Phillies opted to put Realmuto on the 10-day injured list with back spasms to give him adequate recovery time. In response, the club recalled catcher Garrett Stubbs from Triple-A Lehigh Valley Stubbs had appeared in five games for Philadelphia in 2025 but had not yet played at the minor league level in 2026. Additionally, relief pitcher Max Lazar, dealing with an oblique strain, was moved to the 60-day injured list to free up roster space.
Leave a Reply