Braves catcher Sean Murphy suffers cracked rib, expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks

“You hate it for the player,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Guys want to play, that’s how they’re wired. It’s real stuff when you start breaking things, strains, all that. I hate it for him because I know he had a great attitude and mindset coming in this spring. But it’s something we have to deal with.

“Injuries, all they do is provide an opportunity for somebody else most of the time. So we’ll see the rest of spring, evaluate, see where we’re at, see where Murphy is at, and go from there.”

The question atop everyone’s mind: Does this open the door for top prospect Drake Baldwin? The 23-year-old has surged over the past couple of seasons, becoming one of the better up-and-coming backstops in the minors.

Baldwin isn’t guaranteed a role, but he’ll have the chance to earn one. When the Braves bid farewell to d’Arnaud, the idea was that Murphy would catch regularly, with Chadwick Tromp spelling him. Baldwin would be developing in the background; it would do him no good to be a backup in the majors while he could play every day in Triple-A.

Now, the Braves will need someone else to pair with Tromp for at least a week. They have in-house veteran options in Sandy Leon and Curt Casali, but this also could be the chance to get Baldwin his first major-league experience. None of the three are on the 40-man roster. If the Braves used one of the veterans, they’d have to designate the player for assignment and get him through outright waivers to return to the minors upon Murphy’s return. Baldwin has all his options available, so selecting him could make more sense operationally.

Asked if Baldwin is ready, Snitker said: “He might have to be.”

Snitker has lauded Baldwin, who’s received raving reviews from pitchers like AJ Smith-Shawver and Reynaldo Lopez. Pitching coach Rick Kranitz was impressed with Baldwin’s assessment of Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach on Sunday, Snitker said. Baldwin will catch Chris Sale in Tuesday’s exhibition game.

“You’ve seen that maturity, every spring he’s gotten a little better,” Snitker said of Baldwin. “He keeps improving his game. He got a little notoriety in the Futures Game, playing with the USA team, which all will serve him well going forward. He’s an impressive young man. He’s really bright. He’s easy to talk to. Good feel for the game. The at-bats have been really, really good so far.”

Lopez said Sunday (via team interpreter Franco Garcia): “I really feel like his catching ability, the way he’s been framing pitches has surprised me up to this point. I feel like the way he’s been framing and receiving and everything, it’s very impressive. He’s caught a few pitches that I feel like he did a good job framing as strikes, and the calls didn’t go our way. But I think he’s been terrific so far.”

Baldwin emphatically put himself on the radar last summer with a homer in the Futures Game. Overall, he hit .276 with a .793 OPS across Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett in 2024. His performance improved drastically in Gwinnett where he hit .298 with an .891 OPS in 72 games.

Those around the Braves have routinely spoken highly of how he’s carried himself, specifically in how he’s improved behind the plate over the past two seasons. His offense has been his calling card, with budding power that one day could lead him to multiple 20-plus homer seasons.

Baseball America ranks Baldwin its No. 1 Braves prospect and No. 52 overall, saying his “offensive performance and strides in the batter’s box have taken him from a likely backup catcher to a potential first-division regular.” The Braves selected Baldwin No. 96 overall (third round) of the 2022 draft out of Missouri State. Snitker noted that Baldwin is better prepared after having played collegiately and succeeded at every minor-league level.

Leon, 35, has over a decade of major-league experience. He spent last season in Triple-A Gwinnett. Baldwin previously praised Leon for aiding his development. The 36-year-old Casali is an 11-year veteran who spent last season with the Giants.

“We’ll use the rest of the camp to evaluate, and they’re all going to get to play regularly now,” Snitker said. “We’ll see what it looks like.”