Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy will be having season-ending surgery on a torn labrum in his hip, which comes as another blow to the team in a season to forget.
According to team general manager Alex Anthopoulos, Murphy had been playing through the injury for the last three seasons. Anthopoulos quoted Murphy by saying, “he’d grind through it.” However, further evaluation by doctors revealed that the injury was more severe.
With the conclusion of his season and surgery on the way, Murphy finishes both last season and this season with fewer than 100 games played each and a batting average a touch below the Mendoza line. Over the past two seasons, Murphy has recorded a slash line of .197/.292/.384 with an OPS of .676 and an OPS+ of 87– 13 points below league average. Amidst his offensive struggles, Murphy also recorded the highest strikeout and whiff rates of his career at 32.3 and 31.2 percent, respectively.
Those numbers are a far cry from his last All-Star campaign, which came in 2023. He recorded an OPS of .844 and an OPS+ of 122, which is 22 points above league average.
Outlook for Murphy & Braves Post Surgery
Drake Baldwin made the team out of spring training because of a rib injury that landed Murphy on the injured list. Baldwin, who was the Braves’ 23rd-ranked prospect by MLB.com’s Top 100 prior to his majors promotion, has performed miles better than the struggling Murphy. In 107 games this season, Baldwin hit 15 home runs and drove in 64 runs while recording a .276 batting average, an OPS of .796, and an OPS+ of 122, which is 22 points above league average.
His performance has been surprising, leading to projections of him winning Rookie of the Year. Baldwin led the votes in MLB.com’s recent NL Rookie of the Year poll. Not to mention Baldwin has the second-highest odds of winning the award behind Chicago Cubs right-hander Cade Horton.
Post-surgery, Murphy should be ready for spring training in 2026. Should Murphy begin slowly, Baldwin could challenge for the starting role.
The Braves invested significantly in Murphy, acquiring him from the Athletics in December 2022 in a three-team deal involving the Milwaukee Brewers. The Braves gave up William Contreras and their top prospect, Kyle Muller. The team followed that up by handing Murphy a six-year extension with a club option for 2029.
Murphy will be returning to the Braves in 2026 at the age of 31. The expectation is that he regains form when he’s fully healthy. But if he doesn’t, Baldwin should be right there to take his spot.
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