John Ryan Murphy Fantasy Stats

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher John Ryan Murphy, who was added to the 40-man roster on Sunday, is primed to be the backup to Jacob Stallings after Luke Maile underwent season-ending surgery to fix a fractured right index finger last Friday. Murphy was a non-roster invitee at spring training on a minor league deal. The 29-year-old is more of a defense-first backup, so he can be totally ignored for fantasy purposes. Murphy hit just .175/.246/.413 with four home runs, seven RBI and nine runs scored in 70 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks and Braves last year.

The Arizona Diamondbacks designated catcher John Ryan Murphy for assignment on Saturday to make room for starting pitcher Taylor Clarke on the active roster. Murphy had been serving as Zack Greinke's personal catcher this year, so it'll be worth watching to see if it has any effect on Greinke. Murphy was hitting just .177 in 62 at-bats this year and was mainly a defensive backstop. Carson Kelly and Alex Avila will continue to split time behind the dish moving forward. Clarke will make the start against the Giants on Saturday and is worth streaming in deeper leagues against the hapless Giants lineup.

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher John Ryan Murphy went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Pirates. The home run was Murphy's ninth of the season, but first in June. The lack of power this month has been disappointing for Murphy after he hit five home runs in May. He seemed to have established himself as the starting catcher at the beginning of June, starting in 11 of the first 13 games this month. However, poor performances at the dish resulted in a timeshare returning as he has not played consecutive games since June 15th. The defense provided by Alex Avila and Jeff Mathis will always make it difficult for Murphy to get consistent playing time, despite the offense he brings. For now, Murphy only provides some value to owners in two-catcher leagues.

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher John Ryan Murphy went 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's loss to the Reds. Murphy has now hit a home run in four of his last five starts and has taken the starting catcher job from Alex Avila. With seven home runs in just 73 at-bats, Murphy is looking like a very solid option for owners in two-catcher leagues. At the very least, he is worth a flier while his bat stays hot.