Injuries have ravaged the Braves’ roster over the past two seasons, and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight. Earlier this month, Ha-Seong Kim tore a ligament in his finger after slipping on ice while in Korea. He’s not expected to return until at least mid-May, and the Braves will also be without Sean Murphy for the opening portion of the season.
Murphy underwent hip surgery in September after suffering a torn labrum. While the procedure typically requires around four months of rehab, his recovery timeline appears to be longer than initially expected. According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the Braves’ catcher is not expected to return until at least May.
“In case you forgot, Murphy underwent surgery in September to repair a torn labrum in his right hip,” Bowman writes. “As for Kim, he tore a ligament in his right middle finger when he slipped on ice this month in Korea. The Braves are hopeful both players will be activated from the injured list in May.”
Offensively, Murphy has struggled over the past two seasons, hitting below the Mendoza Line (.197) since the start of the 2024 campaign. The hope is that much of that decline can be attributed to the nagging hip injury he’s been dealing with, and that the surgery will ultimately allow him to get back to form. Regardless of the offensive questions, Murphy still provides immense value defensively. He’s a wall behind the plate, and perhaps most importantly, pitchers love throwing to him.
In the meantime, this injury opens the door for an extended look at Drake Baldwin to start the season, something Braves fans should be excited about. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year is already one of the best offensive catchers in baseball and surprised just about everyone with how quickly his defense came along behind the plate.
The Braves typically prefer to split reps at catcher, which limited Baldwin to just 97 starts in 2025. But with Murphy sidelined, a hot start from Baldwin could create a situation where new manager Walt Weiss has no choice but to keep the budding superstar’s bat in the lineup as much as possible.
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Photographer: Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire