The last thing the Atlanta Braves need right now is another injury in their rotation, but that is exactly what they got with Martin Perez. While it is true that Perez has not been pitching well (including in his start against the Mets), his needing to go on the injured list after getting hit by a line drive in his pitching arm is still not ideal. However, it does seemingly give an opportunity to top Braves pitching prospect Owen Murphy.
With JR Ritchie firmly in the rotating cast of characters that is the Braves' pitching staff, Murphy has long been considered to be the next guy that Atlanta could turn to. A first-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft, Murphy seems to have fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, and after an uneven start to his 2026 season, he has performed quite well lately down in Triple-A.
Now, with Perez hurt and the Braves light on easy options to slot it, it sounds like that the team is opting to call up Murphy to make his big league debut, according to Braves minor league expert Gaurav Vedak.
Per source I’m hearing Owen Murphy will be headed to Atlanta.
— Gaurav (@gvedak) July 6, 2026
Last pitched July 1st - 6IP 2H 0R 1BB 7K
Dominant, unique 4s FB that sits 91-93 but high spin and 19-22” IVB. Huge whiff generating pitch when at the top of the zone.
Latest Braves chatter has Atlanta set to call up top prospect Owen Murphy to the majors
Now, the Braves have yet to confirm the move and reporting has been light on it thus far, but Vedak is as plugged into Atlanta's farm system as anyone. If he is saying that Murphy is getting called up, you can bet that he heard it from someone that would know.
Murphy is not a guy that lights up the radar gun, but he is sneaky deceptive, and his fastball gets a lot of ugly swings due to the amount of induced vertical break he gets. He has a pair of breaking balls that are at least above average with his curve and slider (with his slider being better). Murphy does have a changeup, but it can be a bit firm and his four-seam fastball is a better weapon against opposing lefties than it is.
Assuming it is true that he is getting the call, what will be curious to see is where Murphy slots into the Braves' rotation. Sure, Perez being placed on the IL makes the roster move fairly straightforward, but Murphy hasn't pitched since July 1. The Braves could delay calling him up until it is closer to when he would actually be starting, or he could get a shot immediately knowing that Atlanta is already looking to skip Bryce Elder's start anyway. Whatever the case may be, it sounds like the Braves are going to give one of their absolute best prospects a shot at the big leagues.
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