Braves place Sean Murphy on IL with fractured finger; sign Sandy León

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ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves placed catcher Sean Murphy on the injured list with a fractured left middle finger Tuesday, and manager Walt Weiss said he could be out up to eight weeks.

The Braves signed free agent catcher Sandy León to replace Murphy, who missed the first 35 games of the season rehabbing from right hip surgery in September. The 37-year-old León had been catching in an independent Mexican League. León played five games for the Braves last season, his only MLB action since 2023.

Murphy played just four games this season and was 1 for 14 at the plate. He was injured when Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim hit his glove on a swing in the seventh inning of Sunday's 7-2 win.

Murphy is in his fourth season with the Braves and was projected to earn significant time behind the plate upon his return to keep second-year catcher Drake Baldwin fresh and allow Baldwin to be the designated hitter on his off days. Baldwin has played every game this season and has an .892 OPS with 10 home runs.

The Braves also called up outfielder José Azócar from Triple-A Gwinnett after sending down infielder Jim Jarvis on Monday.

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