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Sean Murphy takes significant step towards returning for Braves

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Alex Lord | Last updated 5/9/24

The Braves ended their three-game losing streak with a sweep of their own, taking two from the Red Sox.

Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez toed the rubber on Tuesday and Wednesday, giving Boston’s offense fits. Sale, against his former team, pitched a gem, going six scoreless innings along with a season-high 10 strikeouts on 103 pitches.

In the two-game set, Lopez and Sale combined allowed just one run and struck out 15 in 11.1 innings. Despite the offense looking somewhat pedestrian still in the first game, a two-homer performance from Marcell Ozuna propelled the Braves offense in the second.

Now, the club heads north for a series against the Mets, and there’s more good news to deliver. According to Justin Toscano, Sean Murphy has taken another significant step in returning to the diamond, hitting in the batting cage.

Sean Murphy has reached a new stage in his progression: He’s now hitting in the batting cage.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) May 8, 2024

Less than a week ago, we received an update that Murphy felt great hitting off a tee, so this is another exciting development for the Braves backstop.

Atlanta has been without their All-Star catcher since Opening Day, and because of the sensitive nature of an oblique injury, the Braves have understandably been extremely cautious with Sean Murphy throughout this process.

It’s a great sign for a Braves team that seems to finally be finding their footing offensively. The pitching staff has held its own and some, while the lineup has floundered, especially the top three. It does look like Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Matt Olson are all finally turning the corner, though.

Getting Sean Murphy back should only accelerate that process.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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