The Atlanta Braves, winners of eight straight and 15 of their last 17 games, will soon get back one of their All-Star talents on a regular basis. Catcher Sean Murphy pinch-hit in a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday and will be available again off the bench on Friday, according to David O'Brien.

Murphy had not seen game action since June 17 when he left a win against the Colorado Rockies with hamstring tightness in the third inning. Though he's not yet quite ready to get back behind the plate, his progress and avoidance of time on the injured list is a sigh of relief for the Braves.

Murphy is arguably the best catcher in Major League Baseball this season, his first with the Braves. In 58 games, Murphy is hitting .286 with 12 home runs, 14 doubles, 42 RBIs and a .915 OPS. He is likely to be the starting catcher in next month's All-Star Game for the National League, which will mark his first trip to the Midsummer Classic.

The Braves can afford to be cautious with Murphy thanks to another All-Star talent they have at their disposal at the catching position, Travis d'Arnaud. He himself has a chance to represent the Braves in the All-Star Game as he was third among NL designated hitters in voting in the last update on Tuesday. The finalists for each position will be announced on Thursday night.

There's a good argument for Sean Murphy to be the pickup of the offseason when all is said and done. The Braves got a monster behind the plate to add to their already daunting roster. Getting him back full-time this weekend would make them even tougher to beat.