ATLANTA — Mike Soroka might be a little slower to return to the Braves than initially expected.
When he pitched a few days ago, Soroka was hit in the knee by a comebacker, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The Braves don’t yet have a start date for his rehab assignment.
The knee is just bruised. It’s not thought to be a long-term issue, but the club is ensuring the young pitcher fully heals.
Soroka is in Florida ramping up to eventually start a rehab assignment. Since spring training, the thought has been that he would return in the second half.
Manager Brian Snitker on Monday said Soroka threw a live batting practice session over the weekend.
Soroka, who never has pitched out of the bullpen in his career, is rehabbing as a starting pitcher. It doesn’t seem as if the Braves will look at how he fits on the 26-man roster until he begins a rehab assignment.
The Braves might not have an obvious name to pull out of their rotation when Soroka returns. Ian Anderson owns a 5.09 ERA, but is young, talented and equipped with postseason experience. He could quickly straighten out his performance and string together some good starts. Spencer Strider is a rookie, but has posted a 3.31 ERA through seven starts since the club moved him into the rotation.
Soroka is attempting to return from his second Achilles tear. He tore the tendon twice in less than a year. In May, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he hoped to pitch 60 innings through the end of the regular season, and that he and the club wanted to keep him under 100 innings total.
Soroka, who made his MLB debut in 2018, has a 2.86 ERA over 37 career starts. He was an All-Star in 2019. Before tearing his Achilles tendon in 2020, he appeared to be one of the game’s great young pitchers.
He turns 25 in August. He still is young. Plus, he believes the fact he has not pitched in almost two years could help save his arm in the long run.
“That’s the goal,” Soroka told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May. “I don’t see a reason why not. I’m only 24, and I have a lot to learn. Just make sure I’m healthy enough to be able to learn those things and hone my craft and be there for a long time.”
