Mike Soroka will require another rehab start after his first was a success.
Soroka started for Single-A Rome on Friday, pitching 3-2/3 perfect innings and striking out three. He threw 45 pitches (28 strikes).
“The reports were really good,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He said he felt great. Stuff was clean, crisp. Reports were real good. So we’ll just get him ready, see how he feels today and go from there.”
Snitker pointed out the 20-year-old was briefly reunited with former pitching coach Dan Meyer, who instructs the pitchers in Rome. Soroka has credited Meyer, among others, for his development as a potential frontline starter, and especially for his increasing strikeout totals.
“That’s really when I took off and starting having a lot of fun pitching,” Soroka said in April. “You look at just the amount of fun I’ve had out there, and like I said, it’s just so much easier to have confidence when you are having fun and you understand that all four pitches that you throw are strikeout pitches if you use them right. That goes a long way as well.”
Soroka will make at least one more rehab start to get him stretched out before rejoining the rotation.
That likely will come Wednesday for Triple-A Gwinnett. If it’s his last rehab appearance, he could start for the Braves June 13 against the Mets. If he needs a third rehab outing, the Canadian righty could make his return against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
Soroka has made three major-league starts this season, striking out 15 and walking six across 14-2/3 innings. He’s earned a 3.68 ERA.
