Specialist: Sean Murphy ‘May Face a Slightly Higher Risk of Recurrence’ of Hip Injury

Braves Today talked to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip surgery about Sean Murphy's injury and expected recovery

In some respects, knowing that Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy needed hip surgery for a torn labrum was comforting because it provided an explanation for his late-season swoons the last few seasons.

In 2023, the offseason trade acquisition parlayed a .306/.400/.599 first half into a starting spot in that summer’s All-Star Game, but a combination of his hip injury and Atlanta’s infamous sweltering heat caused his second half production to collapse. Murphy hit just .159/.310/.275 in the back half of the schedule, falling into a timeshare with veteran Travis d’Arnaud.

A similar pattern repeated this season, with Murphy‘s first half production of .231/.311/.513 absolutely cratering after the All-Star Break, resulting in a .130/.277/.185 line before he told Braves officials about the lingering issue and went on the injured list to have surgery.

Braves Today connected with New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery to learn more about the hip labrum repair that Murphy had last week, as well as his prospects for a healthy return next season and if there will be lingering effects.

Let’s talk about it.

It’s likely more than just a labral repair

One of the first questions Braves Today had for Dr. Benedict Nwachukwu, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip, knee, and shoulder surgery, was about the logistics of a labral tear being repaired: How intense is this surgery, and is it typically the only thing that’s done during the procedure or is additional work typically done while the surgeon’s in there?

Per Dr. Nwachukwu, the surgery is designed to both fix the immediate problem (the torn hip labrum) and address the underlying structural issue that likely contributed to the injury, to help prevent a recurrence.

“In many athletes, the tear is related to a CAM deformity,¹ which is an overgrowth on the femur. Research studies have shown that this CAM is developmental and occurs in adolescence. It is usually the teenage body's response to increased stresses on the hip. Surgery involves repairing or reconstructing the labrum so it can once again seal and stabilize the joint, while also reshaping any bone spurs or irregularities to reduce future stress. Labral repair is commonly not done alone—most procedures also involve this ‘bony work’ to correct the root cause.”

The good news for Murphy and the Braves is that most players can return to full effectiveness and play within six to eight months, although Murphy’s position presents additional challenges. Dr. Nwachukwu, who formerly served as the team physician for both the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls before assuming his current roles as the Chicago Liberty team physician and medical consultant to the NBA Players’ Association, has seen firsthand the additional stresses and demands on the hip that catching requires.

“The catching position presents unique challenges. The deep squatting posture places the hip in a flexed and rotated position that can be particularly demanding after labral surgery. While most athletes can return to play in a 6–8 month window, catchers may require a more cautious approach to ensure their hip can tolerate repetitive squatting, blocking, and quick transitions out of the crouch. The core rehab timeline is similar, but the position-specific demands can extend the final return-to-play progression.”

The Braves’ initial given timeline for Murphy was roughly four months, as relayed by Mark Bowman of MLB.com, with the organization hoping that Murphy would be available without too onerous restrictions for the start of spring training. It’s possible that Murphy is ready for the start of the 2026 season, although Dr. Nwachukwu’s timeline suggests that there is a possibility of Murphy needing a few weeks into the regular season before he debuts.

The good news for both Murphy and the Braves, who are on the hook for three more years at $15M AAV on the contract, is that it’s very likely that Murphy is able to resume his position behind the plate without much drop in performance, provided the rehab proceeds as expected.

“When surgery and rehab go well, the majority of players can return to their pre-injury level of explosiveness and athletic performance. We don’t usually see lasting limitations in sprinting, rotational power, or quick reaction movements. For catchers, pop times and lateral agility are especially important, and with modern techniques and targeted rehab, players generally regain those attributes. That said, outcomes depend on the degree of injury, the presence of arthritis, and how diligently the rehab process is followed.”

(It’s important to note that while Dr. Nwachukwu is experienced in this particular injury to athletes, he has not personally examined Sean Murphy. The catcher’s surgery was performed by Dr. Thomas Byrd of the Nashville Hip Institute, current team physician of the Tennessee Titans, last Thursday in Nashville.)

Will this bother Murphy going forward?

One of my big worries with the news of the injury was that the hip had the potential to be a nagging issue for Murphy throughout the rest of his career. Retired catcher Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants, now that team’s President of Baseball Operations, had a similar surgery in August of 2018 at the age of 31. He was in the starting lineup for 2022’s Opening Day and caught 101 games, albeit with a career-low .257/.320/.382 line. After opting out of the shortened 2020 season, Posey played just one more year, being named an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2021, before retiring at the age of 34.

While Posey didn’t directly mention the hip injury in his retirement address, the catcher did acknowledge that the physical toll of the position took a lot of the joy out of the game for him. “Physically, it’s much harder now, and to be honest, it’s hard to enjoy it as much when there’s physical pain that you’re dealing with on a daily basis.”

Similarly, Dr. Nwachukwu cautioned that while the labral repair procedure is generally successful, there can be a recurrence of symptoms over time, although this is not guaranteed to happen. “In many cases, labral repair with correction of the underlying bone shape is durable and allows for long-term return to sport without recurrence. However, the hip is a complex joint, and if there is pre-existing cartilage wear or if the player continues to stress the hip with extreme positions (like catching), there can be an elevated risk of symptoms returning over time. It’s not a guarantee of future problems, but compared to players in less demanding positions, catchers may face a slightly higher risk for recurrence or hip arthritis down the road.”

This is notable for Atlanta, as Murphy is signed through 2028, his age-33 season, with a club option for 2029. While this contract length overlaps with the tenure of first baseman Matt Olson, making a position change unlikely, it’s possible that Murphy shifts into more of a part-time catcher and part-time designated hitter later in his career if he has some recurrence of symptoms and/or pain in the hip.

But as Dr. Nwachukwu previously stated, this procedure has a good track record of returning athletes to play and while the organization’s stated timeline of four months may end up being a bit optimistic, there’s every reason to believe that Atlanta will have both catchers for a majority of the 2026 season.

1. A CAM deformity, per the National Institutes of Health, is a condition where the femoral head has an abnormal shape and consequently rubs against the interior surface of the hip socket during certain movements.