While the Braves were enjoying a much-needed off day ahead of a pivotal NL East matchup against the Phillies, a couple of familiar faces provided some entertainment in Rome. Spencer Strider made his first rehab start since suffering an oblique injury during Spring Training, with Sean Murphy catching him behind the plate.

Most of the attention was on Strider. While the Braves’ rotation has been surprisingly among the best in baseball through the first three weeks, the sustainability of that production feels unlikely. This is still a team that desperately needs a frontline starter, and the hope is that Strider can become that guy again for the first time since undergoing InternalBrace surgery in April of 2024.

Strider was on a strict 50-pitch limit Thursday night, but he made the most of it, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings. The first two frames were effortless, as he retired the first six batters he faced with three strikeouts. He issued a walk in the third but worked around it, then was pulled in the fourth after allowing a hit and another walk.

Overall, it was about as encouraging as you could hope for from a pitcher working his way back from an oblique injury — the type of injury that can be particularly tricky to manage. Strider’s command wasn’t where it needs to be to succeed at the major-league level, throwing just 27 strikes out of 50 pitches, but it was undoubtedly a step in the right direction. He’ll likely need at least two more rehab outings to build up his pitch count, and at that point, the Braves can seriously evaluate whether he’s ready to return to Atlanta.

As for Sean Murphy, he went 0-for-2 with a pair of flyouts, though one came just inches from leaving the yard.

The plan is for Murphy to finish the week with the Rome Emperors before heading to Gwinnett, which is also likely where Strider will make his next start. The veteran catcher has yet to log a full nine innings behind the plate — something the Braves will likely want to see a couple of times before calling him back up. Still, it’s reasonable to expect he could reach that point sometime next week.

While most of the attention was on two former Braves All-Stars, the real star of Thursday night’s game was the organization’s top prospect — 19-year-old Cam Caminiti. Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft relieved Strider and delivered five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, earning his first win of the season. Through three appearances, he now owns a 3.07 ERA, 0.886 WHIP, and an impressive 11.7 K/9.

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Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire