NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — The Atlanta Braves added catching depth while awaiting the return of Sean Murphy by signing former Texas Rangers All-Star Jonah Heim to a $1.25 million, one-year deal on Tuesday.
Heim was with the team for the first workout with pitchers and catchers.
The Braves announced the signing of Heim and placed right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach on the 60-day injured list. Schwellenbach, whose 2025 season was cut short by a broken right elbow, has inflammation in the elbow.
Braves first-year manager Walt Weiss told reporters Schwellenbach has “bone spur-type stuff” in addition to the inflammation. “It’s going to be significant time he’s going to miss,” Weiss said.
“I always say before a season even starts your pitching depth is going to get tested. It’s inevitable. You’d rather it not be right away in February.”
Heim, 30, was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2023, when he hit .258 with 18 homers and 95 RBIs with Texas. He hit .220 in 2024 and .213 last season.
Murphy had season-ending surgery in September to repair a labral tear in his right hip. He began running on Tuesday and said he had no timetable for when he expects to be ready to play.
The Braves are expected to rely on 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin to handle most starts at catcher to open the season. Heim will serve as depth, possibly allowing Baldwin to remain in the lineup as the designated hitter when he's not catching.
Murphy told reporters: “I feel good. I think we’re making good progress on the hip and now we’re checking boxes as we go. So far no setbacks and everything is going well.”
Braves infielder Nacho Alvarez worked with the catchers during the first workout.
Atlanta also acquired infielder Brett Wisely from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash and placed right-hander Joe Jiménez on the 60-day injured list with a left articular cartilage injury.
Brian Snitker, who retired after last season as manager to assume an advisory role, sat in a golf cart as he chatted with Weiss on the first day of workouts. Snitker will be inducted into the team’s hall of fame this year after 49 years in the organization. He led the Braves to the 2021 World Series championship.
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FILE - Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim warms up during the second inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sept. 8, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
PHOENIX (AP) — Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and the 1996 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.
Parker, Holdsclaw and members of the 1996 Olympic team were all in attendance as well as Amar’e Stoudemire and Mike D’Antoni.
They will be joined by longtime NBA official Joey Crawford, NBA coach Doc Rivers and Gonzaga coach Mark Few.
The group was announced at halftime of the women's Final Four with many members in attendance.
Parker won three titles in the WNBA with three teams: Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. She's the only player in league history to win both the MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
She also won two titles while playing in college for Tennessee under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, two Olympic gold medals and two WNBA MVP awards.
Delle Donne won two league MVP awards in 2015 and 2019, the second of which came when she led the Washington Mystics to their lone WNBA championship. Delle Donne became the first player in league history to shoot over 50% from the field, 40% from behind the 3-point line and 90% from the free throw line.
Holdsclaw won three straight titles at Tennessee from 1996-98, the first team to accomplish that. The 1998 championship was Tennessee’s first undefeated season at 39–0 and the Vols also set an NCAA record for the most wins in a season. Holdsclaw went on to an 11-year WNBA career.
Stoudemire, who was the only NBA player in this year's class, was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003 and six-time All-Star. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Phoenix Suns, where he teamed with D'Antoni.
Rivers got nearly 1,200 victories on his resume which puts him eighth on the all-time wins list. He led the Boston Celtics to the NBA championship in 2008 and was also in charge of the Los Angeles Clippers during their Lob City era.
Few has won over 770 games at Gonzaga in his career at the school. He set the NCAA Division I men's coaching record by winning 81 games in his first three years at the school.
Crawford officiated 2,561 regular-season NBA games and 50 Finals games over his 39-year career. He retired in 2016.
The enshrinement ceremony will take place in August at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
FILE - Tennessee's Candace Parker (3) passes around North Carolina's La'Tangela Atkinson in the first half of the NCAA college basketball tournament regional final, Tuesday, March 28, 2006, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)
