Braves DFA Player 24 Hours After Career-High 5 RBI Day

Baseball can be a cruel game sometimes.

Imagine you just had a career night, with a homer and 5 RBIs, and less than 24 hours later, you're designated for assignment.

That's the reality facing seven-year veteran big league catcher Jonah Heim today.

The #Braves today reinstated C Sean Murphy from the injured list after returning him from his rehabilitation assignment yesterday. The club designated C Jonah Heim for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 4, 2026

Talk about a rollercoaster ride for a major league ballplayer.

First player in MLB history to have 5 RBIs and be DFA’d in a 24 hour span
— The Battery Avenue Booer (@TrillWilsosa) May 4, 2026

To be clear, Heim has experienced the highs of a 5-RBI day a couple of other times previously in his career, but certainly never crashed with a DFA the next day on those occasions.

Drake Baldwin, the sensational sophomore, has been the Braves' starting catcher this season while veteran backstop Sean Murphy has been rehabbing from a right hip labral tear and subsequent surgery last September. Heim has caught 12 games.

But Murphy has been activated from the IL and is ready to make his 2026 debut. He'll likely DH much of the time, and after going 8-for-24 (.333 avg.) on his rehab with four RBI, two doubles and six runs scored over his last six outings at Triple-A, he'll be ready to hit the ground running.

It's a bit of a curious move to let Heim go, however, as he's proven to be a viable big league catcher over his seven-year career, with some pop in his bat. He backstopped the Texas Rangers to the World Series championship in 2023. He averaged almost 15 homers a year over his last four seasons in Texas.

The Braves signed the 30-year-old to a one-year, $1.25 million contract back in February.

With Murphy largely DHing, they realistically could have kept Heim around, and avoided making Murphy put on the so-called 'tools of ignorance' coming off hip surgery.

We'll wait to see what Heim's next move is.