Braves' rookie Owen Murphy exits early in first start as team seeks rotation stability

Owen Murphy made his major-league debut for the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, lasting 2 2/3 innings and allowing three runs as the team fell 7-6 to the Texas Rangers at Truist Park. The loss highlighted ongoing concerns about the Braves' starting rotation, which has posted a 5.53 ERA since early June and has struggled to pitch deep into games.

"We need to take a step forward with our starting pitching," Braves manager Walt Weiss said. "The guys have been good this year, especially early on, for a few months. So it's certainly in there. But yeah, we’ve got to put together some good starts."

Murphy, who had not pitched above the High-A level before this season, surrendered two earned runs on five hits and two walks. Most of the damage came after a collision in the outfield that prevented a routine fly ball from being caught, leading to a sequence of four singles by the Rangers.

The Braves' rotation issues predate recent injuries; they eased when Bryce Elder and Martín Pérez performed well earlier in the season. However, injuries to four starters during spring training and recent setbacks, including Pérez's forearm contusion, have left the club with limited internal options. Potential starters for the upcoming games include Grant Holmes, Reynaldo López, Elder, Pérez and veteran Chris Sale, who threw seven scoreless innings in the series opener.

Atlanta may also consider recalling Hurston Waldrep or AJ Smith-Shawver later in the week, while Spencer Strider remains sidelined with an elbow injury and Spencer Schwellenbach is still in the early stages of a long rehab process. The team is expected to explore trade options before the August 3 deadline to improve its pitching staff.