Braves place Murphy (oblique) on IL
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PHILADELPHIA -- Sean Murphy will miss a few weeks while recovering from a left oblique strain he sustained while taking a swing in the seventh inning of the Braves’ 9-3 Opening Day win over the Phillies on Friday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
The Braves placed Murphy on the 10-day injured list Saturday and recalled Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Gwinnett. Tromp will serve as Travis d'Arnaud's backup while Murphy is sidelined.
Atlanta hasn't received the results of an MRI exam completed on Saturday, but manager Brian Snitker has already prepared himself to be without Murphy for more than just a couple of weeks.
"It's going to be a while, holy cow," Snitker said. "He's a big strong guy. Hopefully, it's sooner rather than later."
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Murphy immediately dropped his bat and grabbed at his left side after swinging and missing at the pitch from Philadelphia reliever Matt Strahm on Friday. Murphy headed to the dugout after a brief consultation with the team’s medical staff.
“I hate it for him," Snitker said. "He had a really nice end to his spring and he was really feeling good, and it was just one of those freak things that happen in baseball.”
The value of the Braves' catching depth will be realized as the team gives the primary catching duties to d’Arnaud, who was named an All-Star in 2022. Murphy was one of the Braves' representatives at last season's All-Star Game.
"We're very fortunate to have a guy like Travis," Snitker said. "Tromp has done a great job any time he has been up. I have a lot of faith in him."