Phillies' J.T. Realmuto to have knee surgery, placed on IL

Philadelphia Phillies star catcher J.T. Realmuto will undergo surgery on his right knee.

The Phillies placed Realmuto on the 10-day injured list Tuesday and announced the three-time All-Star will have a meniscectomy Wednesday in Philadelphia. The team did not disclose a timeline for Realmuto's return.

Despite dealing with knee soreness throughout the season, Realmuto but has remained a steady presence for the National League-leading Phillies, batting .261 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 51 games. He sat out three consecutive games last month with right knee soreness.

In a corresponding roster move Tuesday, the Phillies recalled catcher Rafael Marchan from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Realmuto, 33, becomes the latest Phillies player to be placed on the IL, joining two-time All-Star shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) and outfielder Brandon Marsh (hamstring).

Marchan, 25, had one major league stint with the Phillies earlier this season but did not appear in a game. He batted .233 with two homers and eight RBIs in 13 games this season split between Class A Clearwater and Lehigh Valley.

Garrett Stubbs figures to serve as Philadelphia's primary catcher while Realmuto is sidelined, with Marchan as the backup.

The Phillies (45-20) lead the second-place Atlanta Braves (35-28) by nine games in the NL East and entered Tuesday one percentage point ahead of the New York Yankees (47-21) for the best record in the majors.