Mike Soroka threw an inning of live batting practice Monday morning and remains on track to make his spring debut later this week.
Soroka, who was scheduled to start Sunday, was delayed after feeling tightness in his right adductor. The Braves took a cautious approach and pushed back his start to Friday or Saturday.
The 2019 All-Star suffered no setbacks during Monday's session and exclaimed he felt healthy shortly following the workout. Soroka, 22, is entering his second full season as a major leaguer.
“Outstanding, I felt great,” he said. “I felt awesome. I felt like myself. We’re all go.”
The Braves host the Yankees in a split-squad game Friday afternoon at CoolToday Park. They play the Rays Saturday night in nearby Port Charlotte.
Soroka missed spring training last year after offseason workouts left him with shoulder soreness. He didn’t make his first regular-season start until April 18, though he showed no lingering effects from the injury, posting a 2.68 ERA across 29 starts.
The Canadian right-hander finished sixth in Cy Young voting and received one National League Rookie of the Year vote — the only nod that didn't go to Mets slugger Pete Alonso. He also made his postseason debut, allowing one run over seven innings in Game 3 at St. Louis.
Soroka remains lined up to be the Braves' opening-day starter March 26 at Arizona.
