Chris Murphy was primed to contribute in 2024 in some capacity as a member of the Boston Red Sox bullpen.
Instead, the left-handed reliever watched the season go on without him.
The Red Sox shut down Murphy during the middle of spring training last year due to elbow pain. An MRI showed ligament damage, resulting in Murphy undergoing Tommy John surgery in early April.
Murphy is already back on the mound nearly a year moved from that major injury, though. According to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Murphy has thrown two bullpen sessions and he came out of each one feeling good.
“Progressing well,” Murphy told Smith. “On track right now for I think it’s an April 10 live (BP). Beyond that, I don’t know what the plan is from there.”
Murphy is far from the only recent Red Sox pitcher to go through the grind of recovering from significant elbow surgery. Liam Hendriks went through it last season and despite some rehab appearances, he didn’t pitch in the big leagues in 2024. Lucas Giolito opted for an internal brace procedure in his elbow and is working his way back as well.
Like the pitchers before him, it’s tough to put a timetable on Murphy’s return following the significant injury. He does plan to pitch this year and if everything goes well, he’s looking to return during the first half of the season.
“Hope so. Cross my fingers,” Murphy said.
The Red Sox drafted Murphy in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft and gave him his first taste of the big leagues in 2023. Murphy impressed right away, tossing eight consecutive shutout innings with 11 strikeouts to begin his career in the majors.
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Murphy made 20 appearances for the Red Sox in 2023 and finished with a 4.91 ERA and a 1.406 WHIP. That season also saw Murphy experience a major role change as he went from almost exclusively starting in the minors to becoming a reliever with the Red Sox.
Murphy, who said he felt his “arm health” deteriorate prior to having Tommy John surgery, doesn’t know the exact role he’ll be in once he returns. But he did have a guess on how the Red Sox will use him once he is fully recovered.
“I have no clue what the direction is,” Murphy said. “I assumed it’s probably a bulk role, no matter if that’s a starter or reliever. Hopefully multi-innings. I feel like that’s something that’s going on in baseball now — guys that can go two innings, guys that can go three innings. So have some utility.”
