The All-Star catcher’s oblique injury has the Braves on edge. The team has been struggling since starting pitcher Spencer Strider went down with a UCL strain, but this isn’t the first Braves regular to go down with an injury this season.
Atlanta is prudently taking their time on that one.
Sean Murphy, the starting catcher for Atlanta, hurt his side with a swing during the opening inning. He was diagnosed with an oblique strain and has been out of the game since.
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This week, manager Brian Snitker of the Braves gave the media an update, saying that Murphy was still not hitting or running but had made progress in his rehabilitation, even going so far as to walk on a treadmill. Snitker stated, “It’s a difficult injury.
Murphy is clearly a long way from being ready, but he is already eligible to be activated off the injured list. And that was a smart move since Murphy would have offensive problems if he were rushed back too soon.
“The player will not be able to swing as effectively if the muscle is injured or they are experiencing pain,” sports medicine specialist David A. Wang, MD, of Hospital for Special Surgery, told Braves Today. “The oblique muscles are important to generating speed during a swing.” “Athletes should always be cautious when returning to competition because there is always a chance of reinjury, even after pain has subsided.
The oblique muscle need ample time to heal and rehabilitate following an injury in order to withstand the significant load they experience during a swing or toss. Even when the discomfort subsides, you run the danger of reinjuring the area if you push the muscle too soon after an injury, just like with any other muscle injury.”
Additionally, Murphy’s reputation for taking “max effort” swings each time he bats increases the danger of re-injury. Wang notes that since catching isn’t the position with the biggest danger of re-injury, Murphy ought to be ready to play defense as soon as he’s added back into the lineup.
“While catchers do have additional and unique physical requirements compared to other positions in the field, when it comes to oblique injuries, the most common mechanism of injury is from swinging during batting.”
That’s excellent news for Murphy’s comeback timetable as well, since Wang says that all hitters will simply need to go through the regular rehab that is required, with no further therapy required to resume catching.
Murphy may require a rehabilitation period prior to returning to the major league team, depending on the duration of his absence. Considering that he was hurt so early in the season—he got only 34 at-bats in total between spring training and the opening game of the season—he probably needs to come back up to speed offensively.
