A top Braves prospect is making his return from Tommy John surgery

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 2:39 PM ET

Last year, nobody in the Braves farm system was pitching better than Owen Murphy in the first half of the season.

The 20th overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft out of Riverside-Brookfield High School in Illinois, Murphy made seven starts and pitched to the tune of a 1.54 ERA with a 0.732 WHIP and 13.2 K/9 for High-A Rome. He looked to be on the cusp of an early promotion to then-AA Mississippi, but like seemingly every pitcher these days, Tommy John surgery got in the way.

Murphy hasn’t pitched since May of last year, but that’s about to change, as he’s beginning a rehab assignment with the FCL Braves.

Owen Murphy, who was having an incredible 2024 campaign before needing TJ surgery is on a rehab assignment with the FCL Braves. One step closer!

— Gaurav (@gvedak) July 22, 2025

This is one of the more exciting developments to watch on the farm over the second half of the season, even if expectations should be tempered following Tommy John surgery.

There are a lot of prospects that appear to be on the cusp of the majors, and we’ll likely see several of them over the next couple of months. However, none of them have been even close to as dominant as Owen Murphy was last year before his injury. He had the ball on a string every time he toed the rubber, and nobody was touching it.

Murphy is one of many prospects Braves fans should be keeping a close eye on the rest of the way. If he can look anything like he did before his surgery, he could be another candidate to compete for a roster spot as early as next season.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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