MLB News Today: Braves place catcher Sean Murphy on IL; Mets struggle in season-opener; Phillies bullpen implodes in loss

The Atlanta Braves walked away victorious in their MLB season opener, however, it came at a cost. En route to an impressive 9-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves starting catcher Sean Murphy was forced to exit the game with a left oblique injury.

"The Braves are placing Sean Murphy on the IL" - @TalkinBaseball_

Unfortunately for the Atlanta Braves, the team has decided that the injury to Sean Murphy is severe enough that they had to place him on the IL. It remains to be seen how long their All-Star catcher will be sidelined, however, they are fortunate to have one of the best backups in the MLB, Travis D'Arnaud.

The New York Mets struggle mightily in their first game of the 2024 MLB regular season

There was a level of uncertainty surrounding the New York Mets heading into the new year, and if Friday's season opener was any indication, it could be a long year. The Mets dropped their first game of the year, falling 3-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers.

"Opening Day & the Mets only got 1 hit. The misery has begun @NjTank99" - @barstoolsports

While the scoreline in the loss was nothing too concerning, it was the box score after the game that had many fans concerned about the future of the team. The Mets were held to only one hit in their first game of the year, a home run by veteran Starling Marte, but that was all the team could muster. The team will look to bounce back in the second game of the series on Saturday.

The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen implodes late against the Atlanta Braves

It was a day to forget for the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen, who entered their season-opening game against the Atlanta Braves as the top-rated unit in the MLB. It was a 2-2 tie heading into the 8th inning but that is when everything fell apart of the Phillies.

"Boos already from Phils fans. Phillies bullpen has given up 5 runs" - @JClarkNBCS

Relief pitchers Jose Alvarado and Connor Brogdon combined for a dreadful 7 earned runs, leading the Phillies to a 9-3 loss at the hands of their division rivals. It remains to be seen if it was simply a bad outing at the ballpark or a reason to panic for the front office. With 161 MLB games remaining in the season, there is plenty of time in the calendar to find out.