PHOENIX -- The D-backs' catching depth took a hit when Jeff Mathis sustained a hand injury in July, but it appears they could bolster that depth a bit when September callups are announced Friday.
John Ryan Murphy was in the D-backs' clubhouse Thursday morning, familiarizing himself with the club in anticipation of a promotion from Triple-A Reno once Major League rosters expand.
"Obviously we dealt for him and knew what he would be able to bring to this organization," manager Torey Lovullo said of Murphy, who was acquired from the Twins on July 27 in exchange for left-hander Gabriel Moya. "With the priority that catching has taken on for us here at this level, we knew that he would be a nice fit. So we got him in here today just to see what everything looks like behind the scenes. He's on the taxi squad; he's not gonna be officially active until tomorrow, but we just thought it would be a good day for him to get on board and see how we operate here."
Murphy, 26, is hitting .238 with six homers in 78 Minor League games this season. Since joining the Reno Aces on July 30, Murphy is hitting .284 with two homers in 19 games.
"It was good to see him; was a good interaction," Lovullo said. "I've watched him for several years when he was with the Yankees and love everything about him."
Lovullo said the rest of the players Arizona intends to call up will be informed on Friday, and they will join the club in Colorado for its weekend series with the Rockies.
Murphy, who was drafted by the Yankees in the second round of the 2009 Draft, played a career-high 67 game with New York in 2015 before being sent to Minnesota for Aaron Hicks in the offseason. Murphy will join current D-backs catchers Chris Iannetta and Chris Herrmann, who have combined with Mathis this season to form a potent defensive backstop platoon.