Sean Murphy is making his way back in a hurry, and the early signs in Triple-A Gwinnett have been encouraging.
Murphy delivered three hits and handled all seven innings behind the plate in Gwinnett’s 7-3 win over Durham in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader. It was his second multi-hit game in three rehab appearances, after he collected two hits in Sunday’s win over Iowa.
The Braves still haven’t announced how long Murphy’s rehab assignment will run. The veteran catcher missed Spring Training while recovering from right hip surgery, then returned to the big league roster in early May before suffering a fractured left middle finger on May 10. Once he’s back with Atlanta, Murphy could step in as the primary catcher and open the door for Drake Baldwin to get more time as the designated hitter.
Ha-Seong Kim also kept moving in the right direction Wednesday, picking up a single in the first game of the doubleheader. Kim was sent to the injured list after struggling badly at the plate, hitting just .068 (5-for-73) following his May return from offseason right hand surgery.
His rehab clock runs out after Saturday’s game, and Atlanta has until then to decide what comes next. The club can activate the veteran shortstop, who signed a one-year, $20 million deal before tearing a tendon in his right middle finger when he slipped on ice in January. Otherwise, the Braves would need to explore a trade or designate him for assignment.
In Other News...
Braves Face A Painful Decision On Three Familiar Names
The Braves have reached the part of the season where even familiar names can land in trade conversations, and Sean Murphy is one of the more intriguing cases. His defense still gives Atlanta real value behind the plate, and while his contract makes him a logical name to monitor, the club also has little incentive to move him when his market value is not exactly at its peak. Murphy is also getting closer to a return, which only adds to the sense that this is less about a clean break and more about a difficult balancing act.
Ha-Seong Kim and Spencer Strider make the picture even messier, though in very different ways. Kims situation is tied to his rehab work and the roster crunch that comes with it, while any deal involving him would likely be about clearing money more than bringing back a meaningful return. Strider, meanwhile, sits in a far more complicated spot because of his contract and injury uncertainty, which makes him a tough player to move unless Atlanta is willing to absorb a painful amount of the cost. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Be Near A Tough Austin Riley Decision
Austin Rileys recent stretch has only sharpened the questions around how much the Braves can keep leaning on him as the season wears on. The offense has been quiet enough to notice, with multiple hitless games and a pile of strikeouts, and the Orioles series offered little relief when the underlying numbers landed well below his usual standard. For a player whose bat has long been the carrying tool, that kind of dip naturally puts a spotlight on every other part of his game.
The defense at third base has not done him many favors in the bigger picture, either, with his career work there grading out as marginal or worse by Statcasts OAA-based measure outside of a tiny debut-year sample. So even as Atlanta weighs what comes next, the discussion is no longer just about whether Riley will snap out of it at the plate. It is also about how the Braves balance patience, production and the realities of a long season with a player whose value has become harder to define in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have Finally Found The Rotation Arm Fans Wanted
The Braves are still working through a rotation picture complicated by injuries, and the trade deadline is giving them a chance to look beyond internal fixes. One name that has surfaced in that search is a Mets right-hander who is coming off a rehab appearance and drawing attention as New York leans toward selling, which naturally puts Atlanta in the market for a starter who can help right away.
For the Braves, the appeal is obvious: they need innings, stability and another arm they can trust in a stretched rotation. There are other pitching possibilities in the mix, but this one stands out because the timing lines up with where both clubs are headed, and the contract situation only adds to the sense that a move could come together before the deadline if the price and fit make sense. [Read more 🡒]