It looks like Daniel Murphy might have something in the tank.
The 2015 Mets playoff hero, who came out of retirement this year to play with the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks, is knocking on the door of an MLB return just weeks after signing a contract minor league with the Angels on June 12.
Murphy cut an impressive .342/.413/.488 with a home run and eight RBIs in 10 games for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.
The performance is in line with the 38-year-old’s 37-game run with Long Island, where he pared .331/.410/.451 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 37 games — which included an .861 OPS and a 16-game hitting from May 16 to June 1.
Despite his independent league numbers, the Angels were the only MLB team interested in Murphy, according to The Athletic.
“I felt like I had some baseball left,” Murphy told the outlet of his decision to come out of retirement.. “I don’t know how many. But it was more than zero.
“And it got to a point where if I hadn’t at least tried it would have been more out of fear than anything. And I didn’t want that to be the case. »
The Angels, four games shy of a wildcard, may now have an opening for Murphy’s bat.
The team has dealt with a series of injuries to infielders Anthony Rendon, Zack Neto, Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury in recent weeks.
Daniel Murphy was a key force for the Mets in their 2015 playoff series.Getty Images
Injury woes were exasperated on Tuesday when superstar outfielder Mike Trout hit the injured list with a fish hook fracture in his left wrist that could sideline him for at least a month while Shohei Ohtani faces a light bulb that could prevent him from making an All-Star appearance in the game.
Los Angeles has already added veterans Mike Moustakas and Eduardo Escobar in recent weeks.
During his 12-year MLB career, Murphy was a three-time All-Star with 1,572 hits, 138 home runs and a .296 career average.
A staple of the Mets roster from 2008 to 2015, Murphy cemented his place in New York baseball lore during the 2015 playoffs, hitting a home run in an MLB-record six-game playoff streak en route to the National League pennant.
Daniel Murphy celebrates with Lucas Duda after hitting a two-run homer in the eighth inning against the Cubs’ Fernando Rodney in Game 4 of the 2015 National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field.Getty Images
He left Queens to sign with the Nationals the following season, finishing second in NL MVP voting to Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant.
Murphy had stints with the Cubs and Rockies before hanging up his boots after a sub-35 2020 season.
“It’s a beautiful game, and I feel really humbled and blessed that it allowed me to jump a little in the race,” Murphy said at the time. “It’s beautiful. He can teach you so many things.
“And all I can say is thank you.”
After attending Mets Old Timers Day last year, embroiled in a personal dive into baseball history, Murphy told the Post that his passion for the game had been rekindled.
“I was just thinking, man, this is a really cool game we have,” Murphy said. “But trying to play as hard as possible and being as productive a teammate as possible, I’ve never paid so much attention to his story.
“It gave me energy for the game.”
2023-07-05 04:44:37
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