Sean Murphy Sending Reminder For Why Braves Traded For Him

The Atlanta Braves have experienced a power surge in their last five games, with eight of their 15 home runs on the season coming in that span. Three of the home runs have come from catcher Sean Murphy. 

Murphy is now tied for the Braves lead in home runs (Marcell Ozuna, Ozzie Albies) and he’s played 10 fewer games than the others. He enters Sunday with a slash line of .333/.444/.933 and has six RBIs. 

For those concerned that his All-Star campaign was a one-off and the Braves might be stuck with him, his early performance is a sign to take a deep breath. 

While he was technically healthy coming into Opening Day last season, he suffered an oblique injury immediately. He sat out for two months, and he never looked fully sound when he got back. In 72 games, he batted .193 with a .636 OPS, 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. 

In 2023, he was an All-Star, batting .251 with a .844 OPS, 25 home runs and 68 RBIs. With the follow-up he had to this, he came in with a lot to prove. But he’d have to wait a bit longer than Spring Training and Opening Day. 

Just three games into Grapefruit League action, Murphy suffered a cracked rib on a hit by pitch. He missed the brutal road trip to open the year that saw the Braves start 0-7. 

In his debut, he helped lift the Braves to their first win of the season with a three-run home run in his first at-bat. He then picked up an RBI single later in the game. In Saturday’s 5-4 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Rays, he belted two solo shots. 

So far, that slow season can be blamed more on that oblique than we were willing to admit.

The Braves are now 3-1 when he’s starting behind the dish and 1-9 without him. They needed returning players to provide a spark. He’s arguably gone beyond the call of duty so far. 

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