Don’t ask Brendan Murphy how many comebacks he’s attempted.
Since undergoing surgery on his left shoulder in September 2018, the Mundelein graduate has faced one obstacle after another.
Whenever Murphy, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-hander, started seeing some progress, he had another setback. Like being stuck in a bad outing without any relief help, he kept taking hit after hit in his bid to get back on the mound.
Murphy, who originally signed a national letter of intent to play at Arizona State, was selected by the Brewers in the fourth round of the 2017 MLB draft out of Mundelein and jumped at the chance to start his professional career. But before this season, he had pitched in just nine pro games — all in the 2017 Arizona Rookie League — since he went 9-1 with a 1.99 ERA in his senior season with the Mustangs.
He’s finally healthy, however, and is pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers’ Low-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats.
Murphy said the journey has been painful, both mentally and physically.
“I would build up, throw in a game, but then it would start to hurt again,” Murphy said. “I haven’t been consistently healthy since the surgery until this year. I didn’t even count (the comebacks).
“The first year of rehab was miserable. I hated it. I was in my apartment in Arizona by myself the whole time, just bored. I remember I started throwing again but kept having setbacks. I would build up, get in a game, then have another setback and be shut down again.”
Murphy is 5-6 with a 5.45 ERA in 67 ? innings over 16 appearances this season. His 67 strikeouts are a positive sign.
“The last six weeks of the season I’ve been starting to feel good every day,” Murphy said. “It’s taken so long just to get to this point. But I’m having fun, and I’m healthy. … I couldn’t have asked for a better first (professional) season.”
Carolina Mudcats manager Joe Ayrault praised Murphy for his resolve and positive attitude.
“Our No. 1 priority with him is his health,” Ayrault said. “He’s feeling good now, got a good pitch mix and a good mound presence. He keeps on getting better. He’s a competitor who works his can off and is a bulldog on the mound. He’s on the right track with his health.
“He’s well-liked on the team, and his makeup is off the charts. He has a good mix with his fastball, slider, cutter and change-up. His change-up is his plus pitch. But as his velocity keeps going up, it makes his change-up even better. He’s a tall and big guy with an intimidating presence on the mound.”
Murphy said he dealt with some soreness early in spring training that led him to worry about his long-term future. But once his arm adjusted to a daily workload, he started to feel like his old self again. His fastball is up a few miles per hour, topping out at 91 mph.
Murphy, who acknowledged the influence of a strong family support system and friends from his hometown, called pitching in the minor leagues “a grind.”
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“We play a lot of games,” he said. “I’ve lost 20 pounds since spring training because we sweat so much. But at the end of the day, I’m healthy. I just have to execute my pitches better.
“I’ve learned to just grind through it. That’s my message to guys who play and get injured. Some days you feel terrible, but you have to trust the process. I did it for three years and stuck with it. To be in this position now, not rehabbing and playing for an affiliate, makes it all worth it.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.