The Braves scratched top pitching prospect Mike Soroka from his scheduled start Sunday for Triple-A Gwinnett, giving them a fallback option in case either Julio Teheran or Anibal Sanchez isn’t ready to pitch in the coming week.
The move bought time for the Braves to evaluate Teheran and Sanchez after they threw Sunday bullpen sessions and when Sanchez tested his right hamstring again with running drills for the second day in a row Sunday.
Braves manager said both pitchers felt good after Sunday’s work and that both remain on schedule, with Teheran set to pitch on regular rest Wednesday against the Mets and Sanchez penciled in for Saturday against the Giants.
Teheran left his start Friday after three innings with tightness in his upper right trapezius behind his shoulder, and Sanchez has been on the 10-day disabled list since straining his hamstring April 18. Sanchez will face Braves batters in simulated-game conditions Tuesday in New York as a final test before determining if he’s ready.
If the Braves bring up Soroka they would have the three youngest players in the majors on their 25-man roster, as the 20-year-old Canadian right-hander is four months older than Ronald Acuna, who was called up last week, and seven months younger than Ozzie Albies.
Soroka, rated 27th in Baseball America’s preseason Top 100 prospects, is 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts in Triple-A, with 24 strikeouts and five walks in 22-2/3 innings. He made a great impression on teammates and opposing hitters alike during major league spring training, pitching in three Grapefruit League games and allowing just two hits and one run with no walks and five strikeouts in five innings.
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