Phils' J.T. Realmuto hit by wild pitch, exits with bruised neck

Phils’ J.T. Realmuto hit by wild pitch, exits with bruised neck

ST. LOUIS — Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto bruised his neck when hit by a Zack Wheeler wild pitch in the seventh inning of Philadelphia’s 3-0 loss to St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

The three-time All-Star was removed from the game.

“We’ll check him tomorrow. It doesn’t look like there’s any broken bones,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.

Wheeler was pitching to Brendan Donovan when he bounced an 0-1 curveball, catching Realmuto on the right side of his neck above the collarbone and knocking off his mask.

“You never want to see that,” Wheeler said. “I feel bad for spiking that and him having to come out of the game.”

Philadelphia medical staff examined Realmuto before the 33-year-old walked off the field under his own power.

“He started getting a little headache and he just didn’t look normal, so we got him out,” Thomson said.

Thomson said Realmuto was checked for a concussion and did not appear to have one.

Realmuto has started at catcher in nine of Philadelphia’s first 11 games this season and led major league catchers in games caught in each of the past two seasons with 133.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.