The injury bug has bitten the Atlanta Braves one too many times this season. It's been incredibly frustrating, and the recent announcement of Sean Murphy's injury surely didn't help. Atlanta announced on Monday that Murphy will miss the rest of the season with a right hip labral tear. He will undergo surgery to repair this, and the recovery timeline is four months.
It feels like everyone had a feeling that something was wrong with Murphy. He hasn't been the same player for more than some spurts here and there. Alex Anthopoulos revealed that Murphy has been dealing with this hip issue for three years.
Three years?! That's absolutely horrific to learn that one of the team's biggest acquisitions a few years ago has been dealing with this issue and just hasn't disclosed the severity until now. Anthopoulos said Murphy came to them and said he was going to mention it at the end of the season to get an MRI. AA stated, "That doesn't make any sense. Let's get an MRI now, now that you're being honest with us."
Murphy was trying to play through it, which is admirable, but like Chris Dimino pointed out, it's a tad selfish.
Cellini & Dimino are fired up 🔥 after Sean Murphy reveals he’s been catching with a bad hip for 3 seasons.@CelliniNick @chrisdimino pic.twitter.com/26h39hRgXN
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) September 9, 2025
Sean Murphy has apparently been playing with a bad hip for three years which explains a lot
The doctor saw the MRI and stated he was shocked that he was playing through a significant tear. If he'd kept playing, it would have gotten worse, and he may have missed the window to be ready for Spring Training. It feels especially more silly when you see how the season has played out. This year doesn't matter anymore, and he could have already gone through the healing process.
While it's very frustrating that Murphy has played hurt the entire time he's been with Atlanta, it explains why he's struggled so much at the plate. Murphy made it to the All-Star Game in his first year with the Braves. However, from 2023-2025, he's slashed .219/.323/.423 with 39 doubles, 47 homers, 138 RBI, and a .746 OPS.
His offense has truly suffered, but the value he also brought was the excellent defense and game-calling. The problem is, Atlanta needed his bat to show up more than his defense.
This is the second straight year that he has batted with an average below .200 and a wRC+ below 100. What was once seen as a great deal has soured into an expensive mistake. Luckily, Drake Baldwin has been incredible this season, and if Murphy becomes a backup, Atlanta at least has a great backstop with impressive bat skills.
Hopefully, surgery helps Murphy salvage his time in Atlanta and return to the first half form he found in 2023.