Braves Put Catcher on IL, Part of Flurry of Moves Before Cubs Series

The Atlanta Braves saw their veteran catcher sustain another injury, and a rising shortstop was optioned to Triple-A

Murphy's return to the Braves lineup didn't last very long | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Just like that, the Atlanta Braves are once again without veteran catcher Sean Murphy. The team announced on Tuesday that he has been placed on the 10-day injured list, backdated to May 11, with a left finger fracture.

With Jonah Heim now with the Athletics, they made the move to bring back Sandy Léon on a major league contract. He had recently been released so that he could play down in Mexico instead of for Triple-A Gwinnett. However, when the call to play in the majors comes, you're going to jump at it.

In other moves, shortstop Jim Jarvis heads back to Triple-A. He was optioned on Tuesday afternoon to make room for José Azócar, who was selected to the major league roster.

Murphy returned from the injured list after recovering from a hip injury last week when the Braves were out in Seattle playing the Mariners. He last played on Sunday, but Dominic Smith came in to pinch hit for him in the ninth inning. Drake Baldwin came into catch for the final three outs.

He was 1-for-14 with six strikeouts in his brief return to the lineup.

Jarvis played in two games, going 1-for-5 and striking out twice. Along with the first hit of his major league career, he made some dazzling plays in the infield during the series against the Dodgers over the weekend. He's been a tough out down in Triple-A. His return to the majors is in due time.

With Eli White on the 7-day concussion injured list, the Braves opted to bring in another outfielder. It preserves the level of depth they currently have at the position.

We'll likely know more on that matter soon. Azocar came up the first time right after Ronald Acuña Jr. went down with a hamstring injury. However, he was designated for assignment to make room for Jarvis. So these two simply swap again.

Acuña is eligible to be activated on Wednesday. If he's activated, this will likely be a one-day stint for Azocar.

On the positive side of the health updates, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim was activated on Monday. He is expected to make his return on Tuesday. This will mark his 2026 debut.

The Braves start a three-game home series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Grant Holmes will get things started with a 7:15 p.m. first pitch.

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