Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy has suffered a fractured left rib that will sideline him for at least the next month, according to MLB.com. Murphy, in turn, will be unavailable when the Braves open their schedule on March 27 against the San Diego Padres.
Murphy, 30, is a former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner coming off a dismal showing in 2024. He hit .193/.284/.352 (76 OPS+) with 10 home runs in 72 games, establishing new career lows in each of the triple-slash categories along the way. The Braves nevertheless parted ways with backup catcher Travis d’Arnaud (who subsequently signed with the Los Angeles Angels) to begin the offseason, paving the way for Chadwick Tromp to slide in as Murphy’s caddy — at least until top prospect Drake Baldwin was deemed ready for a more substantive role. Now, Baldwin seems poised to compete for the starting job.
Baldwin, CBS Sports’ No. 32 prospect, hit 276/.370/.423 with 16 home runs last season between Double- and Triple-A. Last week, we wrote about how Baldwin could crack Atlanta’s Opening Day roster:
As with Chandler, I think Baldwin’s chances of making the Opening Day roster hinge on the health of the players above him on the depth chart — or, specifically, starting catcher Sean Murphy. Were Murphy to go down at some point this spring, I would have to imagine Baldwin would take over behind the dish on a most-days basis until Murphy is ready to return from the shelf. I don’t believe the same dynamic would be true if the Braves lost backup Chadwick Tromp to the IL; rather, I assume Atlanta would turn to a veteran non-roster invitee like Curt Casali or Sandy León. All that to say: I think Baldwin’s debut will probably come later this season.
The Braves are also slated to enter the year without outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and ace Spencer Strider, both working their way back from major injuries. Veteran reliever Joe Jiménez is expected to miss most of, if not the entire year as well.
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