Will looming Braves return be the spark offense and pitching need?

When was the last time that the Atlanta Braves lost five times in a six-game span? That feels almost unheard of for a Braves team that has won six straight NL East titles and 100+ games in each of the last two seasons, but that's exactly what they did on their recent west coast trip. They were even swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

These struggles from a team as loaded as Atlanta are unprecedented. This team has no clear weaknesses on paper, but has struggled of late, particularly offensively.

Fortunately for Atlanta, they might be getting a key player back very soon who can help them both with their struggling offense and their pitching.

Can looming Sean Murphy return give Braves much-needed spark?

Anytime a team gets an All-Star off the IL, that's bound to provide somewhat of a spark. Yes, the Braves happen to have the league's best backup, Travis d'Arnaud, proving to be an extremely valuable replacement, but he's not Sean Murphy. When Murphy is at his best, he is what he was last season. An All-Star. Murphy shines on both sides of the ball and is an important piece of the operation in Atlanta.

As important as Murphy is, this Braves team truly revolves around its superstars. Players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley are the team's engine offensively, and all three of them have struggled mightily to begin the 2024 campaign.

Eventually, you have to think these MVP-caliber players can turn it around. They're too talented not to. Their track record suggests it's going to happen. Perhaps a bit of a deeper lineup can help.

As for the pitching, Atlanta has been solid. Their rotation, even without Strider and with Max Fried not quite himself, has been mostly good, and their bullpen ranks ninth in the league in ERA. Murphy's presence certainly won't hurt, but it's not like they've been struggling without him.

This Braves team is and always was going to be fine. Despite some struggles of late, they're 21-12 entering Wednesday's action. That's with many of their key players being just a bit off and Murphy being out. The Braves remain very real World Series contenders, and getting Murphy back will only reinforce that.

The backstop has started to hit in the batting cage, which is an important step in his recovery from an oblique injury. He'll need a lengthy rehab assignment when it comes to that as he hasn't played since Opening Day over one month ago, but he should be back sometime in May if everything goes smoothly. It'll be a welcome return for a reeling Atlanta team, but they'll be able to turn things around either way.