Atlanta Braves right-hander Mike Soroka really can’t catch a break lately. After being cleared to begin throwing activities a couple of weeks ago, Soroka is now having issues with his Achilles, which kept him out for the majority of 2020.
The 23-year-old Canadian made just two starts in Spring Training before the Braves shut him down with shoulder soreness. He’s been trending towards a return in the next month or so, but now with the Achilles acting up, Soroka will need to get exploratory surgery, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman:
Soroka had some discomfort in his Achilles. They did a MRI and he'll now have to undergo exploratory surgery.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 12, 2021
This is an awful scenario for the Braves and Soroka. He showed so much promise in his first two seasons at the major league level, posting the National League’s third-best ERA in 2019. He also finished second in Rookie of the Year voting that year to Mets slugger Pete Alonso.
It’s unknown what the recovery period would be like for Soroka here, but it’s a clear setback. Now, the Braves youngster won’t be able to continue a throwing program due to the surgery. At this point, his status for the rest of the 2021 campaign is extremely uncertain.
Atlanta could really use another solid arm in rotation right now, too. Brian Snitker’s squad currently has a 4.55 team ERA, which is 24th in the big leagues. Lefty Max Fried has already missed time this year as well with a strained hamstring.
Hopefully, we’ll see Soroka back on the bump for the Braves not too far down the road.
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