Braves Return Sean Murphy from Injured List, Call Up Outfielder for Bench

The Atlanta Braves have reconfigured their bench with the return of Sean Murphy from the injured list

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy has missed 49 of the team's 50 games after straining an oblique in the season opener. / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves are getting some lineup regulars back. 

They’ve also made some interesting decisions on bench depth. 

The team announced this morning that they’ve officially returned catcher Sean Murphy from his rehab stint in Triple-A Gwinnett and reinstated him from the injured list after 49 missed games. Murphy, who injured his oblique on a swing in the team’s season opener versus the Philadelphia Phillies, went 5-18 with two homers and a double in four games for Gwinnett last weekend, starting twice at catcher and serving twice more as the designated hitter. 

To make room on the active roster, the team placed Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list, a fully expected move after imaging on Sunday night showed a completely torn ACL that will require surgery and sideline him for the remainder of the 2024 schedule. 

But there was another move in here that, while expected, was a bit surprising. 

With the activation of Sean Murphy was fully expected, the decision to keep backup catcher Chadwick Tromp on the bench wasn’t. Tromp batted .250 in 19 games behind the dish as the primary backup to starter Travis d’Arnaud, flashing solid defense and legitimate doubles power (six of his thirteen hits have been doubles), although he’s also struck out seventeen times to only one walk and has yet to hit a homer in Atlanta this season. Having a third catcher can seem like a luxury, but it may signal a desire to have whichever is not starting between catcher Sean Murphy or Travis d’Arnaud become the primary pinch-hitting option for the Braves, a role shared by now starting outfielders Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic. The duo’s combined to cover twenty of Atlanta’s twenty-nine pinch-hit plate appearances this season (although a few of those were one pinch-hitting for the other.)

Instead of sending Tromp back to Gwinnett, the team opted to designate newly-acquired Joey Wendle for assignment. Signed just last Friday after being let go by the New York Mets, the veteran infielder was put on the active roster at the expense of utilityman Luke Williams, who was optioned back to Gwinnett in a corresponding move. Wendle, who has experience at all three non-first base infield spots, didn’t get into a game during his brief tenure with Atlanta and is now once again a free agent. The New York Mets are still on the hook for the majority of his $2M salary, with Atlanta paying only the prorated minimum for the few days he was on the active roster and whatever new team he signs on with being responsible for the same. 

The choice of backup outfielder here was interesting, as well - J.P. Martínez, acquired via trade from the Texas Rangers this offseason, is poised to get his first action of the season in a Braves uniform with the call-up. The 27-year-old Cuban got a grand total of forty-four plate appearances in the majors with Texas last season, batting .225 with one homer and seven runs scored. He’s batted .265 in Gwinnett across the season’s first 45 games, scoring twenty-five runs and going 14/20 on stolen bases. 

It's likely that he's here more to serve as a 4th outfielder than a platoon or rotational outfielder.

UPDATE: Manager Brian Snitker, talking to the media prior to Monday's game, confirmed both the d'Arnaud pinch-hitting and the Martínez bench roles.

Snitker said this will be regular outfield for foreseeable future, with J.P. Martínez as 4th outfielder.

Keeping Tromp as 3rd catcher, for now, allows Snitker to use extra catcher as PH, say for Kelenic late against a tough lefty. And until they’re sure Murphy is 100 percent. pic.twitter.com/RCf1ZMBTGw

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 27, 2024