After defeating the White Sox on Monday afternoon, the Braves have started the season 3-1 without missing a beat, but it hasn’t been without a price. Sean Murphy left last Friday’s season opener and was later placed on the injured list due to an oblique injury. According to Brian Snitker on Saturday, the All-Star catcher will be out for a significant amount of time.
In his place, Travis d’Arnaud will be covered by Chadwick Tromp in Atlanta. The Braves have also added Sandy Leon as a third catcher. Notable also is Jackson Stephens’ decision to re-sign with the Braves after being assigned to Gwinnett after he was discharged by the team
Leon is a 12-year veteran with rather putrid offensive numbers, owning a career OPS of .586. However, he’s stuck around this long because of his work behind the plate. Hopefully, the Braves won’t have to rely on him, but it’s nice to have a trustworthy veteran as a third option if another injury is to take place.
Jackson Stephens being back with the organization is fantastic news. He was slated to earn the final spot in the bullpen before the Braves brought back Jesse Chavez. You can never have enough pitching in this league, and Stephens is a more than reliable option if one of the Braves current relievers goes down for any amount of time
