When J.T. Realmuto took a pitch to the knee from Jose Alvarado at 100 miles-per-hour on Tuesday night and missed Wednesday night's game, an Injured List stint seemed to be a concern.  It turns out, Realmuto would need to be placed on the Injured List.  However, it's not for that play.

The Phillies announced on Thursday that they have placed Realmuto on the COVID-19-related Injured List.

This does not necessarily mean that Realmuto has an active COVID-19 infection.  He may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive, or, a player could be placed on the list if they develop symptoms after vaccination.

Unlike the traditional Injured List, Realmuto does not need to be out for 10 days.

To replace Realmuto, the Phillies recalled catcher Rafael Marchan from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  Marchan is 4 for 16 (.250 average) in the early going at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Expect Andrew Knapp to do the bulk of the catching while Realmuto is out.

On Tuesday, the City of Philadelphia announced plans to re-open as vaccines have led to a sharp decrease in COVID-19 in the City of Philadelphia.  For sports fans, they immediately wanted to know when they might get the opportunity to experience sports as they once have.  Thursday, the Phillies announced their plan for the re-opening of Citizens Bank Park to full capacity.

The Phillies issued the following as part of their release:

Beginning on Saturday, June 12, the first matchup of a two-game set against the New York Yankees, the seating capacity will increase to 100 percent for the remainder of the 2021 season. A limited number of seating pods will be available for fans who prefer to remain in a socially-distanced environment. Tailgating will also be permitted in lots surrounding the ballpark.

The Boston Red Sox series as well as New York Yankees series usually attract out-of-town fans and are usually well-attended.

The pandemic is not yet over and there is still the need for some precautions, but before the calendar hits the summer, baseball will be fully-back.

By Ben Ballier, Sports Talk Philly Staff

Entering the 2021 season, most Phillies fans were feeling pretty good about the Phillies’ bench. Originally comprised of Andrew Knapp, Brad Miller, Matt Joyce, Ronald Torreyes and Roman Quinn, the bench has been whittled down as injuries have piled up.

Two remaining members are Knapp and Joyce. Knapp has a sub-par .152 batting average, but he has continued to call great games behind the plate. Meanwhile, the veteran outfielder Joyce has struggled off the bench. Usually a reliable power threat, Joyce has hit 0 home runs through 38 plate appearances with a “whopping” .133 SLG%.

Meanwhile, Miller has transitioned into a utility-starter role following Adam Haseley’s absence, Quinn’s finger injury, and until recently Jean Segura’s quad strain. Manager Joe Girardi has seemingly tried to get him into the lineup as much as possible, which is easy because he can play almost any position on the field.

By Connor Donald, Sports Talk Philly Contributing Writer

The rollercoaster ride that we call the Philadelphia Eagles offseason continued with the 2021 NFL Draft. The offseason of turmoil has seen head coach drama, the trade of Carson Wentz, a free agent period filled with Howie Roseman dealing with the ghost of prior re-structures and trading back and trading up in the 2021 NFL Draft.

With part one of my post-draft series, I plan on taking a look at the offensive players drafted by Howie and the Eagles while looking at their fit in the offense. So without further adieu, lets dive in. 

1 (10): Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Eagles WR DeVonta Smith: 51 catches of 20+ yards since 2019

17 more than any other player in college football👀 pic.twitter.com/ZJgut9f3KL

— PFF (@PFF) May 6, 2021

Howie traded back from six with the feeling Ja’Marr Chase and Kyle Pitts would be gone and it turns out, despite the ridicule post-trade, he was right. So the Eagles picked up an additional 2022 first to add to the stockpile and then turned around and traded up with the Dallas Cowboys at 10 to sneak ahead of the New York Giants and grab their future alpha wide receiver, the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner, Devonta Smith. Sorry, not sorry, angry Giants fans.

(Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers)

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

When it comes down to it, the Flyers struggles this season and the reason for their collapse and downfall can be contributed to a variety of factors. Some of those reasons do involve the crazy schedule and lack of practice time that NHL teams normally get.

But in this season, even team was dealt with the same situation. Every team had to play 56 games in a short amount of time. Every team dealt with limited practice time and more wear and tear. Multiple teams dealt with COVID situations or protocols limiting what they could do.

So as management – head coach Alain Vigneault and GM Chuck Fletcher and chairman Dave Scott – met the media on Tuesday, those excuses were just that. The trio rested on that for most of their comments, sounding more optimistic in hopes of a normal season than the work that may need to be done to a roster filled with holes.