NEW YORK -- Sean Murphy has notched a multi-hit effort in two of the first three Minor League rehab games he has played for Triple-A Gwinnett.
Murphy tallied three hits and caught all seven innings in Gwinnett’s 7-3 win over Durham in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. The 2023 All-Star catcher recorded two hits in Sunday’s win over Iowa.
Murphy tallied soft singles in the first and fourth innings, but his sixth-inning single had a 105.6 mph exit velocity.
The Braves haven’t said how long Murphy’s rehab stint will last. The veteran catcher missed Spring Training while rehabbing from right hip surgery and then was activated in early May. He played just four big league games before fracturing his left middle finger on May 10.
Once Murphy returns to the Braves, he could serve as the primary catcher, giving Drake Baldwin more opportunities to serve as the designated hitter.
Ha-Seong Kim also recorded a single in Wednesday’s first game. Kim was placed on the injured list after he hit just .068 (5-for-73) after returning in May from offseason right hand surgery.
Kim’s rehab assignment expires after Saturday’s game. Atlanta will have until then to decide whether to activate the veteran shortstop, who signed a one-year, $20 million deal just before tearing a tendon in his right middle finger when he slipped on ice in January. The other options would be to attempt to trade him or designate him for assignment.