The Atlanta Braves rotation has been altered yet again with Martin Perez hitting the injured list after being struck by a line drive in Sunday's loss. It can be argued that the trip to the injured list saved a possible demotion, with Perez struggling to provide the consistency he offered early in the season. Prior to the injury, the southpaw gave up five earned runs and clearly was overmatched by New York's limited lineup. This is far from the first time Perez has struggled, with the last three outings adding up reasons to believe the wheels have fallen off.
Perez has given up a combined 11 runs over his last three games and only managed to work five full innings in one of these outings. With this in mind, the Braves opted to bring JR Ritchie back to the big-league roster as well as Owen Murphy. To create the second roster spot, Atlanta fans won't be surprised by Carlso Carrasco yet again being designated for assignment.
It is a never-ending cycle, with this being the 7th time in the last year that the Braves have pushed the right-hander off the big league roster. With that said, it is fair to wonder if this time is different based on the five runs that Carrasco gave up over two innings of work on Sunday. Five runs that would prove to be too much for the Braves to overcome despite scoring six runs in the 9th inning.
Braves Move Two Veteran Pitchers Off Strugglign Roster in Favor of Youth
Ritchie has shown flashes of being a top-of-the-rotation option, but is yet ot string consistent innings together. Perez heading to the IL is the talented prospect's chance to claim a rotation spot that was up for grabs even prior to the injury. For Murphy, it seems most likely that this is simply a cup of coffee as the bullpen continues to shuffle and utilize all of Atlanta's current depth.
How the Braves continue to manage the rotation will be a defining story of the 2026 season as the franchise looks to piece together a group that started out the year far stronger than expected. Results have slid in the wrong direction and left fans wondering if a trade deadline addition could be made.
However, for the moment, the franchise is opting to embrace youth, hoping that either Murphy or Ritchie will prove to be an answer and provide a level of consistency that has eluded Perez over the last month of the 2026 season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google