Milwaukee Brewers skipper Pat Murphy had an MRI performed on his back ahead of Sunday’s game, and surgery may be a possibility in his future, according to a report from MLB.com.
The 67-year-old manager has been sidelined from making mound visits during the team’s current series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Pitching coach Chris Hook has been handling those duties in his place.
Murphy’s troubles began with hip pain that first surfaced last season, with doctors now believing a back nerve may be the root cause. He went through a rehabilitation program during the offseason to address the hip discomfort, and while he experienced some improvement, the pain has since come back.
Murphy described his condition to reporters Sunday morning. “What I have is a nerve running down my leg, and if I stand up and straighten up — the pain, if you’ve had nerve pain, it’s just ridiculous. I literally can’t walk,” he said. “They think the back now has degenerative discs that might have to be taken care of. It might be back surgery, it might just be an epidural.”
Despite his physical struggles, Murphy has kept the Brewers performing at a high level. Milwaukee entered Sunday’s contest at 42-26 and sitting atop the National League Central standings. Over three seasons at the helm, Murphy has compiled a 231-160 overall record, guiding the club to the wild-card round of the playoffs in 2024 and all the way to the National League Championship Series last season.
