Although the loss of starting pitcher Spencer Strider to a UCL injury has left the Atlanta Braves in disarray, it wasn’t the team’s first regular season injury this year.
And Atlanta is prudently dragging that one out.
In Atlanta’s opening game, starting catcher Sean Murphy took a swing that hurt his side. An oblique strain was the cause of his injury, and he has been out of the game since.
This week, the Braves gave the media an update, with manager Brian Snitker stating that Murphy had made progress in his rehabilitation and was now able to walk on a treadmill, albeit he was still not hitting or running. It’s a difficult injury, Snitker remarked. “Even as slight as that one was, it’s still a big injury.”
Murphy is clearly a long way from being fit, but he is already eligible to be activated off the injured list. And it 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 since there is always a chance of reinjury, even after pain has subsided. The oblique muscle need ample time to recover and rehabilitate following an injury in order to withstand the significant stress they experience during a swing or toss. Even when the discomfort subsides, you run the danger of reinjuring the region 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.”
And it’s excellent news for Murphy’s comeback timeline as well, as Wang says that Murphy will only need to go through the regular rehab that all batters must go through in order to resume catching.
Depending on how long his absence is, Murphy could require a rehab assignment before he can play again for the major league team. 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.
