ATLANTA — Catcher J.T. Realmuto was out of the Miami Marlins’ starting lineup for the second consecutive game Thursday.
Part of the reason was his bruised left hand, but the reason given by manager Dan Jennings was fatigue.
“It’s one of those things you have in August,” Jennings said. “The games grind you down. I thought we’d give him back-to-back games off.”
Realmuto has caught 78 games and is hitting .247 with six home runs and 29 RBIs. However, the wear and tear of being the team’s regular catcher is starting to take its toll on the rookie.
Over his past five starts, Realmuto is 1-for-17, with his average falling from .254 to .247.
“He’s just beat up a little bit,” Jennings said. “If we needed to go to him, he could go. I just thought we’d give him two off days, back to back.”
Realmuto has had a productive season. He ranks 12th among major league rookies with 73 hits. He leads all catchers with five triples and ranks second with four stolen bases.
Since June 3, Realmuto is batting .283 with nine doubles, four homers and 19 RBIs. He had a career-best four RBIs against the Cincinnati Reds on July 11.