The Atlanta Braves have been without catcher Sean Murphy for nearly two months now, and while there’s finally some positive news about his recovery, it comes with a familiar caveat: nobody knows exactly when he’ll be back.
Murphy has been on the injured list since May 12, two days after he fractured a finger during a catcher’s interference call in a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s only played in four games this season. In those four games, he went 1-for-14. That’s a .071 batting average. Not great, but obviously a tiny sample size.
According to Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game, Braves manager Walt Weiss said Murphy is “increasing his baseball activities” and that a rehab assignment isn’t far off. McAuley posted on X that the exact timetable is still TBD. So it’s progress, but not a finish line.
What Murphy’s injury has meant for the Braves
Murphy’s absence has opened the door for rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, and the 25-year-old has taken full advantage. Baldwin is hitting .255 with 14 homers and 39 RBIs. That’s real production from a guy who wasn’t supposed to be the everyday starter this year. The Braves have to feel good about that, even if they’d rather have their veteran backstop healthy.
Murphy himself was frustrated after the injury. “I’m pretty disappointed,” he said via MLB.com. “I’m just frustrated. There’s not much I can do at this point. It’s not how we wanted it to go. But we just have to get this better.”
The Braves are in St. Louis right now, continuing a four-game series against the Cardinals on Thursday night. There’s no word on whether Murphy will join the team on the road at any point during this trip. The organization tends to keep those details quiet until they’re sure.
At this point, it’s really just a waiting game. Murphy is doing more baseball activities. A rehab assignment is coming. But “soon” and “now” are two very different things in MLB injury timelines. The Braves are staying competitive without him, but getting him back would deepen a lineup that could use another reliable bat behind the plate down the stretch.
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