Oh no! Here we go again with the injuries to the Atlanta Braves. In a shocking turn of events, the Braves made the postseason despite losing Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna Jr, and also seeing numerous key contributors go down at different times throughout the regular season. Health HAS to be on their side this year, cause with a healthy squad, not very many teams in the National League are taking them down. However, they will deal with injury early on.

Catcher Sean Murphy will be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks with a cracked rib. This will put his Opening Day in jeopardy, so the Braves will be without their starting catcher.

Murphy Was Due for Bounceback Season

You have to tip your cap to the Braves, who have put together a good roster and have swung the right trades to help ensure that. Adding Murphy was one of them. Murphy is one heck of a catcher behind the dish and does so many good things behind the plate.

One thing he does is have a good working relationship with his pitchers. He an an elite framing catcher (98th percentile in 2021, 92nd in 2022 and 2023), but did take a slight step backwards

He also has great pop up time, so best of luck if you are truing to steal a bag and put your team in better scoring position. But one thing he also excels at is being a good defensive catcher. One thing he has done since the 2020 season, is improve in that aspect of the game.

During the 2021 season, he finished in the 89th percentile, which then rose to the 92nd percentile in 2022. Murphy was truly elite and took the next steps in 2023, ranking in the 100th percentile for blocks above average and still maintained that in 2024.

Injuries did take a toll on Murphy, but he was able to still be a stable presence behind the plate. He only played 72 games for the Braves in 2024 and many pegged Murphy to have a bounce back season in 2025.

Murphy hit just ten home runs and drove in 25 runs, a solid step back from the year prior. Also, he hit .193 and with a .636 OPS, which was a significant step back from his .251 average and his .844 OPS (second highest of his career).

This is a player that has been well above a league average hitter and one of the more prominent catchers in the sport. Him being healthy and giving the Braves reliability at the plate is huge for them. But without Murphy, they now turn to their depth and try to weather the storm right from the start. Here’s how they do that.

Weathering the Murphy News

This is going to be a good test for the depth of the Braves. Last season they could weather this storm because they had catcher Travis D’Arnaud in the fold. He is now a member of the Los Angeles Angels organization, so now the tables turn towards Drake Baldwin.

Baldwin sits second on the depth chart and will now get a good look. The 23 year old catcher will look to make a name for himself early on. He brings a blend of power to the plate and is a bigger and more physical catcher.

His presence at the plate was evident in 2024 down on the farm in Triple-A. He hit 12 home runs and drove in 55 runs. His blend of power gives him great ability to generate extra base hits, which is huge for the team. Also, he has yet to disappoint in spring training after getting his invite. He is hitting .333 and with a .883 OPS.

It’s not just his offense, but everything else that comes with it. Baldwin has a cannon of an arm and has overall improved his accuracy and release points of the ball. In addition, his defense has improved and his ability to be a better blocking catcher.

Baldwin is going to have every chance to show that he can be a constant for the Braves. Murphy won’t be down super long, but this is exactly how they weather the storm.