Murphy (knee) drew walks in each of his two plate appearances during a Cactus League win over the Cubs on Monday. He caught five innings before being lifted for a pinch-runner after his second base on balls.

EDGE Analysis

The projected starting backstop finally got into game action after being eased into spring following a meniscal debridement procedure on his troublesome left knee during the offseason. Murphy complements a solid bat with elite defensive skills, including a rocket arm that gunned down the Royals' Adalberto Mondesi on a steal attempt with a throw clocked at 87.4 mph last season. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports Murphy won't return to action until Thursday and will have his usage monitored carefully for the balance of the exhibition slate, which will give the promising duo of Austin Allen and Jonah Heim opportunities to battle it out for the backup catcher role.