The Braves expect right-hander Mike Soroka to undergo surgery within the next week after tearing his right Achilles on Monday night.
“That’s being set up right now,” general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday morning. “I would expect that to be within a week. The details are being worked on right now.”
Soroka suffered the season-ending injury while running to cover first during the third inning of the Braves’ eventual 7-2 loss to the Mets. It was a devastating blow for the player and team, which already was dealing with rotation issues.
Anthopoulos went to visit Soroka shortly after the injury, saying the right-hander was “dejected, as you’d expect. All things considered, I thought he handled it exceptionally well.”
Credit: Atlanta Braves
Between innings, teammates came to visit and console Soroka, who turned 23 on Tuesday. Anthopoulos applauded Soroka’s positive outlook, adding he already was showing his determination to overcome the injury.
Soroka emerged as the organization’s best pitcher last season, when he posted a 2.68 ERA in 29 starts. He was off to a strong start in 2020, starting opening day and allowing two runs over his first two outings (11-1/3 innings) entering Monday.
The Braves won’t put a timetable on his recovery. Soroka’s schedule will become clearer as he progresses.
“To be fair to Mike and everything else, I don’t want to put a specific timeline on it,” Anthopoulos said. “I know that everyone’s body heals in its own way. As he progresses through his rehab, we’ll be able to update the media and everyone when that does occur, likely late in the winter and so on.
“But for me to put a timeline on it so far out, I think it’s best to give this a few months, see how he’s doing and responding. I’m sure the doctors will have a better sense of the timeline the further removed he is.”
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