Desperation breeds promotion. With the NL East lead slipping through their fingers, the Atlanta Braves are throwing their top pitching prospects into the fire.
Right-hander Owen Murphy is officially coming up from Triple-A. The team announced the move Monday, and the word on the street is he will start his big-league career in the bullpen. But don’t expect him to stay there. With Martín Pérez hitting the injured list with a forearm contusion, and both Spencer Strider and Robert Suarez still on the shelf, the rotation is a mess. Murphy will work relief until the All-Star break. After that? It is anyone’s guess.
Murphy is only 22. The Braves took him 20th overall in the 2022 draft straight out of an Illinois high school, and he has climbed the ladder fast. He started this year in Double-A, got bumped to Triple-A after five starts, and has put up a 3.88 ERA over 11 starts. He has struck out 65 batters in 60 1/3 innings. He has got the stuff. Now we see if he has the guts.
He takes the roster spot of Pérez, who got absolutely plastered by a Juan Soto line drive during Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the Mets.
But the carousel didn’t stop there. The front office also recalled pitcher JR Ritchie and designated veteran Carlos Carrasco for assignment. Ritchie has had a wild week. He pitched three innings in Saturday’s blowout win, got optioned to Triple-A immediately after the game, and now he is already back. That is life in the minors.
As for Carrasco? The 39-year-old veteran got designated for assignment after posting a bloated 5.94 ERA in just under 17 innings. Baseball is a young man’s game, and the Braves are officially pivoting to youth.
