Sean Murphy’s rehab assignment gets important update

The Atlanta Braves placed Sean Murphy on the IL to begin the season, as the veteran catcher is recovering from a September 2025 surgery to repair a labral tear in his right hip. On Friday, Murphy received an important update as he works his way back.

Murphy, who is 31 years old, is set to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, April 14, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It’s said that he would have begun his rehab assignment sooner, but he will wait until after the weekend to attend to a family matter. Hopefully, Murphy’s family is okay.

“Sean Murphy will begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday,” reported Bowman. “He will miss this weekend while dealing with a family matter.”

The one-time All-Star was forced to undergo surgery on his right hip back in September after dealing with a lingering issue throughout the 2025 campaign. At the time, Sean Murphy admitted that his hip had been bothering him for roughly three years before being diagnosed with a labral tear.

When Murphy eventually makes his 2026 debut, it will be his seventh MLB season. He’ll aim for a bounce-back year after struggling at the plate in the previous two. Sean Murphy ended last season with a .199 batting average and .300 OBP while totaling 58 hits, 16 home runs, and 45 RBIs. He hasn’t owned a batting average above .200 since the 2023 campaign.

The Braves will continue relying on Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim as the go-to catchers for the time being. Baldwin is slated to play behind the plate for Friday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians.