Braves Without Sean Murphy For Long Haul, Acuña Not Ready

The Atlanta Braves will have to do without some of their stars, one of them for an extended time

The Braves will have to keep doing without their 2023 All-Star catcher | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves are going to be without two key members of their lineup for longer than they had hoped. Manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday afternoon that catcher Sean Murphy would likely need at least eight weeks, if not more, to recover from his latest injury. 

He went on the 10-day injured list earlier in the day with a fractured left middle finger. He was 1-for-14 with six strikeouts in his brief return to the lineup.

Sandy Léon has been brought back to fill in as a backup behind Drake Baldwin. He was signed to a major league contract. He had been previously released from his minor league contract to play baseball down in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Ronald Acuña Jr. isn’t expected to be back when he is eligible to be activated from the injured list. Weiss said that while he’s progressing, it’s going to be a bit longer. They'll see where he's at on the other side of the homestand.

He’s eligible to be activated on Wednesday and has been out with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. Acuña has been seen working out with the team before games, but he’s not game-ready yet. 

In 33 games, he is batting .248 with a .736 OPS, two home runs, nine RBIs and seven stolen bases. He had been heating up over the last week. He was batting .381 with a .982 OPS, three doubles and two stolen bases over his last six games.

On a more positive note, there is an update on Spencer Schwellenbach. In a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Chad Bishop, he got a positive report in his last check-up with the doctor. He is expected to start throwing soon. 

Schwellenbach’s latest injuries, loose bodies, were sustained just as spring training started in mid-February. However, he hasn’t pitched in a game for the Braves since late June. He went down with a right elbow fracture, and he hasn’t been seen since.

Ha-Seong Kim will be back in the lineup for the Braves starting on Tuesday. He is the starting shortstop, and he is penciled in to bat eighth. This will mark his season debut, as well as his return from a right middle finger injury that he sustained over the offseason.

The Braves are set to face the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series starting on Tuesday. Grant Holmes is on the mound for a 7:15 p.m. first pitch.

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