The Atlanta Braves open the 2026 season as one of the most injured teams in Major League Baseball. Multiple starters are set to begin the season on the Injured List, and a couple of skill player contributors will also be down to start the season.
Atlanta announced its 26-man roster to begin the season, and while there are no surprises, some position groups are lacking depth. One of those is the catcher group. The Braves will carry Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim on the Opening Day lineup, as Sean Murphy continues to rehab his hip. On Wednesday, the Braves made an official injury announcement on Murphy.
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Braves’ Sean Murphy to Start the Season on Injured List
GettySean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves
According to multiple reports on Wednesday, Sean Murphy will begin the season on the IL:
“Atlanta placed Murphy (hip) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Murphy’s move to the IL was merely a formality after Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported at the onset of spring training that the veteran backstop would likely be out until sometime in May while completing his recovery from September surgery to address a right hip labral tear. Per MLB.com, Murphy was able to take on-field batting practice March 9, but it’s not clear if he’s taking part in defensive work or full baserunning yet. Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim will open the season as Atlanta’s two catchers.”
The injury status of Sean Murphy will continue to draw speculation to the backup catcher’s future with the Braves. Drake Baldwin emerged as the starter last season en route to a NL Rookie of the Year award.
Other Braves players to start the season on the IL include AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Danny Young, Daysbel Hernandez, and He-Seong Kim. It’s a long list, but luckily, it’s not any of Atlanta’s core pieces that are shelved to start the year.
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What Should the Braves Do with Sean Murphy?
Sean Murphy provides a lot of power upside for a catcher, but he’s had a hard time staying on the field. Atlanta inked him to a six-year, $73 million contract before the 2023 season. He was an All-Star in 2023, but has regressed in each year since.
Murphy has failed to hit above .200 or appear in more than 100 games in each of the past two seasons.
He’s not likely to eclipse the 100-game mark this season either, especially starting the season on the Injured List.
As the report indicates, he could be back sooner rather than later, but if he doesn’t return at full strength, the Braves will be at a crossroads.
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