Braves' Murphy out 4-6 weeks with cracked rib

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a cracked left rib, the club announced Monday, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Murphy got hurt when he was hit by a pitch during Friday's spring training game against the Miami Marlins.

The 30-year-old recorded 10 homers with 25 RBIs and a .636 OPS over 72 outings during an injury-plagued 2024 season. However, he was a 2023 All-Star, going deep 21 times with 68 RBIs and an .844 OPS across 108 contests.

Murphy's absence opens the door for top prospect Drake Baldwin to begin the new campaign as the club's starting catcher. The 23-year-old is slashing .333/.467/.417 with two RBIs over six spring contests after posting 16 long balls with 88 RBIs and a .793 OPS across 124 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year.