
J.T. Realmuto +.158
J.T. Realmuto spent the first two weeks of the season on the DL with a bruised back. He could only watch helplessly as the Miami Marlins struggled to a 4-12 record before joining the team yesterday.
Realmuto was activated for a rehab start in Jupiter for the Hammerheads on Saturday. He homered in his first at bat, eventually going three-for-three with a double and a walk in an 18-13 Jupiter win over the Daytona Tortugas. The team combined for a Florida State League record with 11 combined home runs.
Realmuto joined the team on Monday, although he was not activated prior to the series opener. In his absence, the Marlins have rolled out a combination of Chad Wallach and Bryan Holaday. Holaday slashed a .179/.258/.214 line, with a double and two RBI. Wallach, who is somehow less gifted as a hitter than Holaday, slashed .129/.182/.161 with a double and two RBI. Miami sent down Holaday in favor of Realmuto prior to Tuesday night’s contest.
Realmuto was slotted fifth in the order in his first game of the season. The Marlins were already ahead by a 1-0 score with nobody out and the bases juiced in the top of the first for J.T.’s first plate appearance. Realmuto reached first base on an error by opposing shortstop Gregorius, scoring Starlin Castro and Miguel Rojas. Since the bases were loaded, Realmuto was credited for an RBI on one of the two runs (+.079).
With a four-run lead in the third inning, Realmuto whiffed on a Masahiro Tanaka offering with nobody on base to end the frame (-.005). In the fifth, with the Marlins still holding the four-run advantage, Realmuto went deep with two outs and two on for a 7-0 lead. Castro and Justin Bour scored on the moonshot (+.084).
J.T.'s back. Back again.@JTRealmuto homers in his first game back to give the Marlins a 7-0 lead.#JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/QaLun4kvrJ
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) April 18, 2018
Realmuto added a leadoff single in the eighth inning (+.001), then advanced to second on a wild pitch (+.001). Don’t let that put you off though. The official scorer didn’t give him credit, but he was running with the pitch and probably was about to steal that base on the play regardless. Realmuto scored on a Tomas Telis single to right field.