Braves cut former All-Star immediately after 2-for-5, 1-homer game
One day after he went 2 for 5 with a home run against the Colorado Rockies , Jonah Heim lost his roster spot with the Atlanta Braves .
The backup catcher was designated for assignment to make room for Sean Murphy , himself a former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner.
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The fact that the Braves could swap one former All-Star for another, at a position that is likely to demand little playing time behind starting catcher Drake Baldwin , is emblematic of why they have the best record in baseball at 25-10 through May 3.
Heim, 30, is slashing .231/.311/.410 in 12 games (45 plate appearances). The home run he hit in the Braves’ 11-6 win in Denver on Sunday was his first of the season.
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Heim is three years removed from his lone All-Star Game nod and Gold Glove Award in 2023 with the Texas Rangers . He signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract in February with the understanding the Braves were unlikely to carry three catchers once Murphy returned from his injury rehab assignment.
Murphy, 31, suffered a torn right hip labrum last September. It was one of many injuries that torpedoed the Braves’ 2025 season. In nine rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett, Murphy went 8 for 34 (.235).
The combination of Murphy and Baldwin gives Atlanta one of baseball’s best batteries. Baldwin, 25, is the reigning National League Rookie of the Year and MLB’s current leader in hits (45) and runs (32).
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Neither Murphy nor Heim was ever going to challenge Baldwin for playing time if healthy. At least Heim might have done enough during his brief time in Atlanta to latch on with another team quickly.
From 2021-25, Heim averaged 14 home runs and 55 RBIs a season. But after his All-Star campaign in 2023, which ended with a World Series victory for the Rangers, his offense took a slight nosedive. Over the last two seasons, Heim slashed .217/.269/.334.
Within seven days of the transaction, Heim can either be traded or placed on outright or unconditional release waivers.
