The Atlanta Braves received an exciting update on injured catcher Sean Murphy.
Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy played 108 games in his first season with the organization back in 2023, earning his first career All-Star selection and hitting a career-high 21 home runs. Unfortunately, it has been mostly downhill from there, and for the third straight season he will not appear in 100 or more games due to injury.
The biggest problem this season was that his year was delayed due to hip surgery from last year. When Murphy finally returned in early May, he played just four games before going down again.
He suffered a fractured left middle finger during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers as a result of catcher's interference. Initially the team did not believe it was serious, but an MRI revealed the fracture and he has been sidelined ever since. Murphy has just one hit in 14 at-bats this year.
However, he has since progressed in his baseball activities, and Atlanta finally believes he is ready to go on a rehab assignment and try to contribute to the team.
"Braves C Sean Murphy will join Triple-A Gwinnett to begin a rehab assignment tomorrow," wrote Braves reporter Grant McAuley on X.
It is unclear how many games Murphy will need at Triple-A before returning, but given how much time he has missed it will likely be more than a week. The Braves will have a tough decision to make when he is ready, as he will likely take the place of Joey Bart on the active roster. Bart has been catching in Murphy's absence.
Murphy will also face some pressure to perform when he returns. He has not been an above-average hitter since his All-Star campaign in 2023, and the only reason his leash has been this long is because he is signed through the 2028 season on a significant contract. The Braves can only hope he can still be a valuable piece.
What complicates things further is the emergence of Drake Baldwin, last year's NL Rookie of the Year and an All-Star this season, who has solidified himself as the future at the position. In a postseason series, the Braves could elect to have Baldwin catch almost every game and leave Murphy on the bench if he does not show promise upon his return.
There is still time for Murphy to make his case, and getting him back healthy heading into October is at least an encouraging development for a team that needs all hands on deck.
