Sean Murphy has missed essentially the entire season, appearing in just four games. He didn’t make his first start of the campaign until May 4th after undergoing hip surgery in September of last year, and a week later, he found himself on the IL following a freak incident that resulted in a broken middle finger.

But it won’t be long before he’s back with the Atlanta Braves.

Murphy began his rehab assignment five days ago, and they haven’t been easing him into things — he caught every inning in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday for the Stripers while recording three hits. He now has five hits in his last two games, and while there’s no reason to rush him with the way Joey Bart has filled in, there’s also no reason to keep him in the minors if he’s ready to roll. The Braves will likely want to see him catch on back-to-back days before calling him up, but Murphy very well could rejoin the major-league club next week.

Ha-Seong Kim also recorded a hit in yesterday’s game for Gwinnett. The shortstop has been down on the farm for a few weeks now and has flashed some encouraging signs offensively, but will it be enough for the Braves to give him another chance?

We’ll find out in the very near future. Kim’s rehab assignment expires this weekend, which means the Braves will either have to call him back up, trade him, or designate him for assignment. Prior to the injury, he appeared in just 27 games for the major-league club, recording -0.9 WAR to go along with a .239 OPS.

It’s difficult to imagine the trade market is going to be very robust for Kim, and given the Braves handed him $20 million in the offseason, they’d probably like to give him one last chance to see if he can provide anything before letting him go. However, I’d be lying if I said I had any confidence in Kim playing a significant role down the stretch.

Murphy, on the other hand, is still a really valuable piece. He’s among the best defensive catchers in the game, and pitchers absolutely adore throwing to him. There’s also some upside with his bat, even if it’s not something we’ve seen very often over the last few seasons as he’s dealt with a litany of injuries.

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(Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)