The Atlanta Braves called up Owen Murphy on Monday, putting the right-hander in position to make his major league debut if they use him in a game. The move came as Atlanta reshaped its roster around a series of pitching changes and a new opening for a young arm.
Murphy has split this season between Triple-A Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus, and the Braves gave him the call at a moment when they needed another pitcher on hand. If he gets into a game, it will be his first major league appearance, a step that turns a routine roster transaction into a milestone for one of the organization’s newer pitchers.
The timing matters because Monday brought more than one change. The Braves placed Martín Pérez on the 15-day injured list and designated Carlos Carrasco for assignment, while also recalling JR Ritchie and José Azócar from Triple-A Gwinnett. Eli White went on paternity leave, leaving Atlanta to patch together its active roster at the start of a new week.
Pérez’s move carried its own odd turn. He was hit by Juan Soto’s line drive in Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the New York Mets, and Walt Weiss said the X-rays were negative, but the left forearm contusion was serious enough to send him to the injured list anyway. That left the Braves needing immediate coverage even though the tests did not show a fracture or break, and Murphy’s promotion became part of the answer.
Carrasco’s exit added to the pressure on the staff. He gave up five runs on five hits in two innings on Sunday, a rough outing that ended with the Braves moving on from him rather than waiting for the next turn through the rotation. Ritchie’s return was also part of the equation after he had been optioned to Gwinnett on Sunday, following three scoreless innings in Saturday night’s 14-3 win over New York, where he earned his first save.
The Braves are clearly sorting for the next available arms, and Murphy is now in that mix. The only question left is whether they hand him a chance immediately, and if they do, whether that debut comes in a low-leverage spot or in the middle of a game that already has Atlanta leaning on its bullpen.
