Atlanta Braves news and notes from Friday.

The Atlanta Braves have been without catcher Sean Murphy for a month, after he suffered an oblique strain on March 29. And although it was just a Grade 1 strain, the club has not provided a timetable for his return.

Murphy resumed catching work nearly two weeks ago, but up until now, he had yet to swing a bat. Fortunately, Murphy took a step in the right direction this week.

Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Murphy swung off a tee for the first time in Seattle and will continue to build his strength.

Although he is far away from a rehab start, this news was definitely refreshing for Braves Country, as Murphy has certainly been missed in the lineup.

More Braves News:

The Braves fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 in an eleven inning contest. Atlanta is now 20-10.

AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep each appeared in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list.

After several incredible outings in April, Owen Murphy brings home the Pitcher of the Month honors in the South Atlantic League.

Today marks Opening Day for the Florida Complex League, and the Braves have assigned several names, including Jose Perdomo and Luis Guanipa to the roster.

Hurston Waldrep had a solid outing in Double-A Mississippi on Thursday, where he allowed just one run in 5.2 frames. More in the minor league recap.

The latest Braves Mailbag addresses your questions about offensive struggles, a Marcell Ozuna extension, and more.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com discusses Joe Jiménez’s slider success, his ability to get soft contact, and more.

Nike is working with MLB to bring on some uniform changes, and here’s what Tyler Matzek had to say.

Braves Podcasts:

The Battery Power Podcast is relocating to the Foul Territory network and will now be called Hammer Territory.

The latest episode of Battery Power TV discusses the Braves’ offensive struggles and previews the series in Los Angeles.