Braves Catcher Sean Murphy Set to Begin Rehab Assignment

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy is set to begin his rehab assignment. According to the Braves Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers, Murphy is scheduled to play in their home opener on Tuesday, April 1.

No timetable was given for how long Murphy will spend with them. However, it was projected when he got injured that he would be back in early April.

Murphy is on the Braves’ 10-day injured list with a cracked rib. He was hit by a pitch in a Spring Training Feb. 28. He was officially placed on the 10-Day Injured List ahead of the regular season on March 25. It was placed on the list retroactive to the day before.

Top prospect Drake Baldwin has been filling in as the starting catcher in his absence, with Chadwick Tromp serving as the backup. The two catchers are a combined 1-for-14 at the plate. Baldwin has been seeing the ball well and has gotten unlucky in some of his at-bats. However, they’re still part of a struggling Braves lineup.

Murphy was healthy for Opening Day last season but essentially started on the Injured List anyway. He suffered an oblique injury during the first game of the regular season and didn’t return for nearly two months.

Once he returned, he struggled at the plate for the remainder of the season. In 72 games played, he batted .193 with a .636 OPS, 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. The previous season, he was an All-Star for the Braves.

Murphy begins his second career rehab assignment with the Stripers. He played in four games for the club last season during his rehab assignment, batting .278 with two home runs, four RBIs and a .983 OPS.

Once he’s back, the Braves will likely slide him back into his usual role. Ahead of Spring Training, Murphy was projected to play in four-fifths of games this season. While Baldwin could eat into some of that playing time, there’s little doubt he’s going to remain a factor this season.

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