Chris Murphy Bio
Christopher Michael Murphy (born June 5, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The left-hander has pitched in MLB for the Boston Red Sox and currently wears number 38 for Chicago. He has spent his career as a starting pitcher and bulk reliever, working through the Boston farm system before reaching the majors in 2023.
Murphy began his professional career in 2019 after being selected in the MLB draft and has progressed through the minor leagues across multiple levels. Following Tommy John surgery in 2024, he returned to the Red Sox in mid-2025 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in November 2025.
Early Life and Background
Christopher Michael Murphy was born on June 5, 1998, in Granada Hills, California, in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. He grew up in the same community and attended Granada Hills Charter High School, where he developed as a pitcher. His senior season was strong enough to earn him a major individual honor in his home state.
As a senior at Granada Hills Charter High School, Murphy was named the CIF Los Angeles City Section’s Most Valuable Pitcher, signaling his status as one of the top high school arms in the area. That recognition helped set the stage for his next step, as he chose to continue his baseball career at the University of San Diego.
Path to Baseball
Murphy played college baseball for the San Diego Toreros for three seasons, becoming a featured member of the team’s pitching staff. After his first season, he was recognized as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball after posting a 3-4 win-loss record with a 4.17 earned run average and a team-high 89 strikeouts.
During the summer of 2018, Murphy played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the premier amateur circuits in the country. As a junior with the Toreros, he went 4-3 with a 3.50 ERA and 87 strikeouts over 63 innings pitched, which convinced the Boston Red Sox to select him in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB draft.
Chris Murphy Career
Early Career (2019-2022)
After signing with the Boston Red Sox, Murphy was assigned to the Low-A Lowell Spinners and posted a 1.08 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched, a strong start to his professional career. He did not appear in a game during 2020 after the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Murphy began the 2021 season with the High-A Greenville Drive before being promoted to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. He made 21 appearances, including 20 starts, and finished with an 8-5 record, a 4.62 ERA, and 128 strikeouts in 101 innings. The following year, he reached Triple-A with the Worcester Red Sox, and across both Portland and Worcester in 2022, he pitched to a 7-11 record in 30 games with a 4.03 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 152 innings.
Boston Red Sox Debut (2023)
On November 15, 2022, the Red Sox added Murphy to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and he was optioned to Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2023 season. In 10 appearances, including nine starts for Worcester through early June, he registered a 7.71 ERA with 42 strikeouts in nearly 40 innings. Boston added him to its active major-league roster on June 6, 2023, and he made his MLB debut the following day, pitching 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief against the Cleveland Guardians.
Murphy was optioned back to Worcester after that appearance but shuttled between Boston and the minors through the rest of the summer. On August 11, 2023, he earned his first major-league save, pitching three shutout innings against the Detroit Tigers. He split time between Boston and Worcester during the second half of August and September as he adjusted to the major-league level.
Boston Red Sox Return and Injury (2024-2025)
Murphy was placed on the 60-day injured list to begin the 2024 season after suffering a left ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his left elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery on April 10, 2024, which ended his season and sidelined him for more than a year. He continued his rehabilitation through the first half of 2025 before being activated on June 28, 2025, and added to Boston’s active roster.
In his first major-league appearance since September 2023, Murphy pitched two scoreless innings during a Red Sox win on the day he was activated. He remained with the Red Sox roster for the rest of the 2025 season as he worked his way back from surgery.
Chicago White Sox Era (2025-Present)
On November 18, 2025, the Red Sox traded Murphy to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for catcher Ronny Hernandez, ending his time in the Boston organization. The move gave Chicago a left-handed arm coming off a strong injury return and gave Murphy a fresh opportunity within a new pitching staff.
Through his early appearances with the White Sox, Murphy has continued to work in a multi-inning relief role while building back to a full workload. Wearing number 38, he remains a developing arm in the Chicago bullpen and rotation plans going forward.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the signature moments of Murphy’s career came on August 11, 2023, when he earned his first major-league save with three shutout innings against the Detroit Tigers. His MLB debut against the Cleveland Guardians on June 7, 2023, also stands out as the moment he reached the highest level of professional baseball. The successful return from Tommy John surgery in June 2025 marked another milestone in his career.
Chris Murphy Career Wins
Murphy has accumulated his professional wins across the minor leagues and a short major-league stint. His path includes standout seasons in the Red Sox farm system and a developing role at the MLB level with Boston and Chicago.
Minor League Highlights
In his first full professional season in 2019, Murphy posted a strong 1.08 ERA with the Low-A Lowell Spinners across 33 innings. He won eight games in 2021 across High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, and added seven more victories in 2022 while moving through Double-A and Triple-A Worcester.
MLB Performances
At the major-league level, Murphy has served primarily as a long reliever and spot starter. His 2023 debut season and his 2025 return for the Red Sox have given him a foundation of MLB innings as he builds a larger body of work with the Chicago White Sox.
Chris Murphy Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Murphy grew up in Granada Hills, California, and has not publicly come from a well-known baseball family. His development into a draft-eligible pitcher came through his high school program at Granada Hills Charter High School and his college work with the San Diego Toreros.
Personal Life
Murphy’s personal life has been kept largely private, with no public details on his marital status or family of his own confirmed in available sources. He has been focused on his professional baseball career, including his recovery from Tommy John surgery and his transition to the Chicago White Sox.
2025 Season Performance
Murphy began 2025 still recovering from the Tommy John surgery that ended his 2024 season in April of that year. He worked his way back to the Red Sox active roster and was activated on June 28, 2025, pitching two scoreless innings that day for his first major-league appearance since September 2023. He remained active in the Boston bullpen and rotation plans for the remainder of the year.
Through his late-season work with the Red Sox in 2025, Murphy showed that his velocity and command were returning after the long rehabilitation. His arm held up over the second half of the season, which allowed the Red Sox to consider him a tradeable asset at the deadline and into the offseason.
On November 18, 2025, the Red Sox traded Murphy to the Chicago White Sox for catcher Ronny Hernandez, opening a new chapter in his career. Heading into 2026, Murphy is expected to compete for innings in the Chicago pitching staff, building on the momentum of his 2025 return and his promising 2023 debut.
