The Braves announced that catcher Sean Murphy has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 11th, with a fractured left middle finger. Fellow catcher Sandy León was signed to a big league deal to replace Murphy on the roster. The club also selected the contract of outfielder José Azócar and optioned infielder Jim Jarvis. They had two 40-man vacancies, which have now been filled by these moves.
Murphy’s injury appears to stem from a catcher’s interference plan in Sunday’s game. Hyeseong Kim swung at a pitch and made contact with Murphy’s glove, as seen in this video from MLB.com. After the game, manager Walt Weiss told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that Murphy would be going for X-rays but would probably be fine. It now seems that a fracture has been discovered, so Murphy will head to the IL.
It’s unclear how long Murphy will be out of action but it’s a frustrating setback nonetheless. Injuries have been a recurring theme for him in recent seasons. He was limited to fewer than 95 games in both 2024 and 2025 due to various ailments. One persistent issue has been hip problems, which eventually led to surgery in September of last year. He was rehabbing from that surgery until about a week ago. Now after just four games, he’s back on the shelf.
While Murphy was on the IL earlier, Atlanta used a catching tandem of Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim. When Murphy was reinstated earlier this month, Heim was designated for assignment and then traded to the Athletics. Atlanta still has Baldwin but now has no Heim and will be without Murphy for a while, so they had to get a bit creative in finding a new backup.
León, 37, is a glove-first veteran journeyman. He began this year with Triple-A Gwinnett but slashed .118/.268/.118 in ten games and was released. He then signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League. He got into ten games for that club, hitting .143/.273/.143, before Atlanta came calling again.
It’s not likely that León will provide much with the bat. He has a career line of .207/.275/.311. From 2017 to the present, it’s an even slimmer .187/.256/.289 line. But he has nonetheless been able to carve out a lengthy career due to his strong reputation when it comes to the other facets of being a catcher, namely his defense.
He’ll back up Baldwin while Murphy is on the shelf. The club also has Jair Camargo and Chadwick Tromp in the system on minor league deals. They may keep their eyes out for external options. For instance, Austin Wynns was designated for assignment by the A’s last week and is still in DFA limbo.
Azócar, 30, was added to the roster for a few days earlier this month. Atlanta bumped him off when they called up Jarvis about a week ago. Azócar cleared waivers but quickly returned to the club on a new minor league deal and is now back on the big league roster. Since Jarvis is being sent out, it’s effectively a reversal of the transaction from last week.
Presumably, that quick change is due to developments elsewhere in the position player mix. Yesterday, the club reinstated infielder Ha-Seong Kim from the IL. In a corresponding move, outfielder Eli White hit the concussion IL. Kim’s return meant that they effectively had three bench infielders in Jorge Mateo, Kyle Farmer and Jarvis. Meanwhile, White’s IL placement left them shorthanded in the outfield.
Azócar has only hit .243/.288/.318 in his career but is a strong defender and baserunner. With Ronald Acuña Jr. on the IL, Atlanta should have a regular outfield of Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Harris II and Mauricio Dubón, with Azócar backing up that group. Azócar is out of options, which could potentially lead to him being designated for assignment again when guys come off the IL.
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images
What a surprise
What did I miss? How did he fracture it? It’s not in the article yet “more to come” and I don’t recall seeing something happen in a game. He’s been awful since he’s come back and it’s getting close to about time to hardly playing him and making him a true backup. Defensively that’s fine but we can’t afford to have him be as awful as he has been. Riley isn’t holding his own and Acuna really wasn’t pre injury. We are really surviving off guys kinda playing above their heads on offense
Catcher interference where batter hit his glove. Between that, his losing all ABS challenges in the first inning back — and his lack of offense, he’s doing nothing to cool his seat and quell the mob outside the gates.
Murphy is still so valuable on the defensive side that this is still a blow. Unless you think sandy leon would be more valuable for some strange reason.
I saw a trade offer sending AJ Blubaugh and Miguel Ullola for Murphy. Sure glad we didn’t do that deal.
Death, tax, and Murphy on the IL
What’s crazy is he never missed in OAK, then now in ATL (where reportedly he’s had a bad hip since coming to ATL that just was repaired in the offseason), he’s had one issue after another.
He was injured all of the time in the minors with Oakland.
Drake Baldwin better stay healthy
Worst trade of all time I miss you William
You must have been too young for the Texeria trade.
Or Len Barker.
You cannot really blame this injury on Murphy being “injury prone” at all. There is no catcher in the league that would come out of that situation without a broken finger. That is not injury prone, that is just bad luck.
Well he’s on the Unlucky List then I suppose.
I can blame it on him being injury prone. I feel fine about that. You are what you are, and he’s always hurt man. It’s sucks for him and the Braves, but facts are facts. Drake is the man there from here on out, and Murph’s contract is wildly under water. 15 a year through 2028, and then a team option for 2029 (obviously an easy decline there). So 40ish million left for a guy that would probably secure a 1 year/6-8 if he were a free agent, and he’s going to be your backup now. The nice thing for Murphy though, homie secured the bag early. Should be nice and set up forever.
AA whiffed on that trade…then compounded that mistake by extending Murphy. Probably end up trading him for another bad contract.
Why, why, why did we get rid of Jonah Heim!?!?
Sandy Leon went straight from the Mexican league back to the MLB. Can’t think of many times that’s happened.
Jake Taylor managed to make that leap back in the late 80’s
Gotta love a Major League reference! Jake wasn’t looking too good when the call came.
Well, now this is just plain bad luck. Some voodoo doll maker out there preventing any Brave with the last name Murphy from taking the next step.
They just gave Jonah Heim away!
Not the greatest but way way better than Sandy Leon or Chadwick Tromp.
It’s always something! I knew something was up yesterday when they said they would “announce” Murphy’s situation before the game with the Cubs!
Tromp vs Murphy’s Law will air after the game on most stations!
I do not get some fans, people talking about trading Murphy. Sean Murphy is one of the better catchers in baseball. He has had some misfortune, catching is the hardest positions in baseball to play, there are a number of ways to be injured. He has not hit much since coming back, but he has been consistent, in a full season he’s going to hit 260, average 75 RBIs, and play as well defensively as any catcher in baseball. I would not as some of you think, get rid of him, guarantee you, if you put him up for trading, you would have more than 2 or 3 checking in on him.
We have the best catcher in Baldwin. Murphy has contributed nothing in two years. Getting rid of his contract would be a plus.
“In a full season” ya buddy that aint happenin
Already?! the new Anthony Rendon.
Sean has given them 14 pro ABs and 1 solid single for his effort. He did not waste anytime with walks either.
He did come into score a run due another one’s effort.
Might be worst AA trade ever. I would have trade Murphy And kept heim.
Brewers have enjoyed the only true positive results from trade with Murphy.
Can’t have Leon playing. They need to go find a backup that can at least swing a bat. Hope someone on waivers.