Braves pitcher Michael Soroka could finally break his injury curse this season given the latest update on his sore hamstring.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Michael (not Mike) Soroka is slowly but surely on track to a full recovery after an injury-plagued past two years in the league.
A day after concerning injury news came out regarding Soroka’s hamstring, it appears like the starting pitcher will be okay after all. On Saturday, The Athletic’s David O’Brien noted that Soroka’s hamstring “shouldn’t be an issue” and that Soroka was seen playing catch at Spring Training.
The Braves’ pitching rotation includes shoe-in starters like Max Fried and Spencer Strider, but Soroka is still fighting his way back to health and will look to snag up the No. 5 starter job.
The 2019 All-Star last took the mound in the majors in August of 2020 and is trying to make a triumphant comeback after tearing his right Achilles twice. These past few years have not been kind to him, but barring any setbacks, Soroka could serve as a vital piece to fill out the backend of Atlanta’s rotation.
Braves pitcher Michael Soroka’s hamstring issue is not as bad as previously thought
Soroka’ direct competition is the much healthier Ian Anderson, who doesn’t carry Soroka’s injury baggage but heavily disappointed last season, owning a 5.00 ERA and was at one point demoted to Triple-A.
Once touted as the next great Braves starting pitcher, Soroka saw his career in Atlanta get derailed by freak injuries and sheer bad luck. Now that Soroka has seemingly recovered from several surgeries, there’s rising hope that he can return to All-Star form when he went 13-4 in 29 starts in 2019 with a 2.68 ERA and allowed a league-low 0.7 home runs per nine innings.
The 25-year-old’s attempted return to MLB in 2022 was cut short due to elbow soreness, and this year Soroka will face a steep uphill battle to compete against Atlanta’s talented pitching rotation.
Manager Brian Snitker has a tough decision to make regarding the final rotation spot: will he take a chance on the oft-injured Soroka or place his faith in a declining Anderson?
These next few months of Spring Training may provide a clear answer.