Baseball teams often deal with hurt players during a long season. However, a manager getting badly hurt is very rare. The Milwaukee Brewers are currently leading their division with a great record. But Pat Murphy‘s slipped disc and upcoming hip replacement threaten that momentum. The 67-year-old manager recently shared how much pain he is in

“I can’t live like that,” Murphy is quoted by the New York Post. “I’m having the surgery, so it works out good.”

According to Murphy, his back pain is not new, but it has gotten worse recently and is gradually becoming unbearable. Before facing the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, Murphy said that he would undergo a pain-relieving procedure on June 25 involving his disc issue.

“I’ll be back by Friday,” said the 67-year-old Murphy, when the Brewers will start against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field that night. “Jumping jacks by Saturday.”

After his back heals, Murphy will have a major hip replacement surgery. That second surgery is set for the All-Star break, which starts on July 13.

This is not Murphy’s first big health scare with the Brewers. Back in August 2020, he was the team’s bench coach. He had a sudden heart attack at the stadium and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. He fully healed from that, showing how tough he is.

Reportedly, since the Brewers came back to their home park after their series against the A’s last week, Murphy’s back was bothering him. Moreover, his hip issue kept him from making pitching changes during the Brewers’ last series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers’ pitching coach, Chris Hook, is doing mound visit duty in between.

Missing Murphy for a few weeks would be a great loss for the Brewers. He has been named NL Manager of the Year for the last two seasons. From finishing the last season with a franchise-record 97-65 overall record, and this year he has guided the Brewers to a great 46-29 start.

He also acts as the clubhouse leader and is known for his stern personality with his players. Last month, in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Abner Uribe struck out Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson to escape a minor jam. He immediately turned toward the opposing team’s dugout and performed multiple WWE-style “crotch chops”. While things didn’t get escalated, Murphy called out his own pitcher after the game.

“I don’t know what got over him. I mean, he’s been an emotional guy, but that kind of thing, that’s just not how we do things,” Murphy said.

The Brewers will miss this leader for a while, and it would be interesting to see how the team performs in his absence. A strong trade deadline could make the Brewers safer than before.

The Brewers are waiting for a perfect trade deadline

The Brewers’ bullpen needs a breather. In the last few games, Grant Anderson, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby surrendered walk-off runs. So, trading a veteran at the bottom could fix things for the Brewers. And who could be a better fit than Aroldis Chapman? He is currently on a rental with the Boston Red Sox and has recorded a 0.83 ERA so far. He could be a key for the Brewers.

The Red Sox are surely not offering Chapman without a top prospect. For the Brewers, that could be Jett Williams. Williams is a top 75 prospect as per FanSided, but he currently has a .705 OPS in the minors. The trade feels costly. But the Brewers really need a veteran in their bullpen.

The Brewers might also witness the homecoming of Freddy Peralta. With the Mets gradually going out of the playoff race, they could become a seller by the deadline and could give away Peralta for a few prospects. This would be a fan-favorite deal if the Brewers could pull it off. For now, the fans would expect the Brewers to maintain their momentum in the absence of Murphy.