Braves pitcher Mike Soroka underwent exploratory surgery on his right Achilles tendon Monday morning in Green Bay, Wisconsin, manager Brian Snitker said.
It was revealed a week ago that Soroka, who was working his way back from an Achilles tear, would require additional surgery after he recently experienced discomfort in the Achilles.
“It’s a situation where everything went well but it will be a month before they know if everything takes and how he’ll be,” Snitker said. “It’s good for him to get that behind him also.”
Soroka hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since Aug. 3, 2020, which was his third start of the shortened campaign. He tore his Achilles, ending his season and beginning what’s been a lengthy, frustrating process.
Soroka appeared to be close to a return when he pitched during the team’s exhibition finale in late March. The Braves even targeted their second homestand in late April for his debut. But Soroka felt inflammation in his throwing shoulder, requiring a shutdown.
Snitker told reporters last week that Soroka was enduring another setback, the discomfort in his Achilles, and that he’d undergo another surgery in Wisconsin, where he underwent the first Achilles surgery Aug. 7, 2020. The team still hasn’t officially ruled out Soroka pitching this season.
“They went in and cleaned everything up,” Snitker said. “You just have to give it time to see how everything heals. They won’t know anything for a few weeks.”
When healthy, Soroka was one of the top young starters in MLB. In 2019, his first and latest full season, Soroka was an All-Star and had a 2.68 ERA in 29 starts.
Soroka’s latest setback dealt further damage to the Braves’ rotation, even though the team wasn’t necessarily counting on him. The Braves lost breakout starter Huascar Ynoa on Monday after the player broke his hand punching a dugout bench in Sunday’s loss.
With Soroka and Ynoa completely out of the picture for the foreseeable future, the team needs another one of its unproven pitchers - Bryse Wilson, Tucker Davidson, Kyle Wright - to fill the void. The Braves still have Max Fried, Ian Anderson, Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly currently healthy in their rotation.
