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The Chicago Cubs pulled off one of the most interesting trades ahead of the deadline when they acquired pitcher Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals in exchange for a couple of prospects in infielder Ronny Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin. That trade addressed a major goal for Chicago, which was to add depth to its pitching staff.
Unfortunately for the Cubs, Soroka didn't last long in his pitching debut for the Cubs on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds. Worse, he's headed to the injury list after a right shoulder discomfort forced him to exit in the second inning of the Reds game, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
“Went to go put a little extra on a fastball and it grabbed me a little bit,” Soroka said. “And it didn't go away.”
Before he left the mound, Soroka allowed an earned run, which was a home run by Cincinnati catcher Tyler Stephenson, and struck out three Reds hitters through 31 pitches.
It is also worth noting that Soroka was celebrating his 28th birthday when he made his debut for the Cubs, so the injury stings for the one-time All-Star.
Before his trade to the Cubs, Soroka went 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA with a 4.13 FIP across 81.1 total innings and 16 starts.
“You're always concerned when you have to come out of the game,” Soroka added after the 3-2 loss to the Reds. “It's never fun. I'm embarrassed. You come to this org and hope to hit the ground running and two innings later, we're having to pull the plug.”
Since Soroka was supposed to address depth in the Cubs rotation, it's now a problem for Chicago to find an extra arm to take over his spot. Soroka was the only pitcher acquisition for the Cubs before the trade deadline, while James Taillon and Javier Assad, along with Justin Steel,e are all on the injured list.
The Cubs, who are chasing the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the National League Central, are three games back of Christian Yelich and company with a 65-47 record.
Chicago will look to bounce back from the loss in the Reds series opener this Tuesday, when Cubs star Shota Imanaga toes the rubber for his 16th start of the 2025 MLB regular season.
