Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud has been sidelined since April 8 with a concussion. It's the fourth concussion of d'Arnaud's career, one that spans over 11 seasons.
The 2022 all-star, when healthy, forms the best-catching duo in the league with Sean Murphy. He talked about the difficulties of overcoming a concussion and the symptoms that come with it.
“It was, like, the part that got sensitive to lights and sound. Basically, anytime I shook my head or moved my eyes — that was the part of my brain that got crushed,” d’Arnaud said. “So anytime I was around that, I’d get massive headaches.”
The Braves have leaned on the side of caution when it comes to d'Arnaud. He and they both know that a concussion, especially not the first, is nothing to take lightly. The Braves' decision-makers have had help from Murphy though.
Since d'Arnaud was placed on the injured list, Murphy has played in 20 of 21 games and has a .304 batting average with eight home runs, six doubles and 20 RBIs. He leads the National League in slugging percentage.
The Braves acquired Murphy from the Oakland Athletics in December and swiftly handed him a six-year extension worth $73 million. It is a move that Atlanta sees as a current and long-term contributor to the Braves' success this decade.
The success of the Braves in April (19-10 record as of May 2) paired with the effort from Sean Murphy allows Travis d'Arnaud to not feel pressured in his return from a concussion. His timely return will be seen as a luxury for a Braves team that is eager to get back to the World Series.
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