Athletics pitching prospect Kade Morris made his first big league start on Saturday-and it didn't go the way he most likely envisioned.
Morris, the A's No. 12 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline , suffered the loss on the mound in his MLB debut against the Houston Astros . The 23-year-old tossed four innings and gave up nine runs on nine hits and three walks, striking out four in the A's 13-2 loss on Saturday. Notably, the right-hander gave up three home runs, including a grand slam blasted by Yordan Alvarez . On a more positive note, he did pick up his first big league strikeout against a nine-time All-Star in Jose Altuve . But Altuve got his revenge later in the day by launching a solo shot off the rookie.
The A's called up Morris earlier this week following some recent injuries in their starting pitching staff. The young hurler was officially promoted on Tuesday, and his last outing in Triple-A came on May 27. So, it's possible the long break in between starts could have negatively affected the University of Nevada product. At the same time, the Astros have some heavy hitters in their lineup, especially with the way Alvarez has been swinging the bat this year.
Jun 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Kade Morris (67) gets a mound visit while pitching against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
At this time, it's unclear if Morris is scheduled to make another start in the majors after his debut. But based on the health status of some of the A's other starting pitchers, like Luis Severino and Aaron Civale , the 23-year-old might be forced to stay in the big leagues out of necessity.
The A's current rotation already features another one of their top pitching prospects, left-hander Gage Jump, who was called up at the end of May. Like Morris, the southpaw faced adversity in his MLB debut , giving up four runs on nine hits in a loss to the Seattle Mariners . But Jump also got the chance to rebound in his second big league start , when he tossed seven innings of one-run ball against the Chicago Cubs . With this in mind, it's possible the A's could give Morris the opportunity for a bounce-back performance, too.
So far this year, the young righty has posted a 4.45 ERA in 11 Triple-A starts, with 49 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. If Morris does stick around in the big league rotation for the time being, his second MLB start would most likely come against the Colorado Rockies toward the end of next week.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/minor-league-baseball as A's Pitching Prospect Kade Morris Victimized by Long Ball in MLB Debut .
