JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If it had been up to Michael Soroka, he would not have been where he was late Wednesday afternoon. He would have preferred to be with his Braves teammates at Fenway Park, readying to face the Red Sox for the second game of their two-game series in Boston. His turn in the rotation would be Friday, at home against the Brewers.
Instead, at this hour, he was in the visiting dugout of 121 Financial Ballpark, home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He was there with the Gwinnett Stripers, having been optioned on Sunday to the Braves Triple-A team for his third tour this season with the affiliate. Soroka had just come in from pregame work in the outfield and was now sitting for an interview as he fiddled with a paper cup that eventually left his hands blue with ink.
It was his second time this season being sent down to Gwinnett, the latest turn in what he called the most up-and-down season of his career as he tries to return from his distinctive and agonizing setback – two tears of the Achilles tendon in his right leg that kept him from playing for two seasons and much of a third.
“I don’t know about frustrating, exactly,” Soroka told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I obviously would have liked to have found my perfect command as early as possible, but that’s just not reality.”
Soroka accepted the assignment (as though he had a choice) but he didn’t cartwheel his way to Gwinnett. Friday, he earned the win against the Brewers – six innings, four earned runs, six hits, two walks, four strikeouts on 87 pitches. It was evidently not enough to keep him with the big-league club.
“They said they were acquiring a pitcher, and (it’s) not my job too much to ask any details,” Soroka said.
After the start against the Brewers – his outing was smudged when he left a pitch in the middle of the plate that Willy Adames crushed for a home run in his final inning – Soroka was encouraged, saying it was “just much more like myself” to go six innings. When it was suggested Wednesday that it looked like he was turning the corner against Milwaukee, Soroka answered, “I agree.”
He paused, looking out at the diamond through his mirrored sunglasses.
“Yeah, I agree. And, even honestly, the couple starts before that, I thought I did really well against the Marlins. Two bad pitches, they both got hit out. That’s the difference, just command.”
Soroka understands why it happened. The Braves, who continue to hold the best record in baseball, have the National League pennant and a World Series title in their sights. It might not be the time to let Soroka solve his command issues as August approaches.
Further, general manager Alex Anthopoulos has made moves prior to the trade deadline. The club likely wants to give one of those acquisitions (Yonny Chirinos, claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay) a start. As Soroka does not have the five years of Major League service time that would require his consent to be optioned, he gives the Braves flexibility by being able to go down to Gwinnett.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
But it doesn’t mean he has to like that it happened or agree with the premise. The start against the Brewers was his first in 16 days, with one three-inning relief appearance in between. You could argue that it’d be difficult for a lot of pitchers to be sharp with that layoff and especially one who missed all of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, as Soroka did.
“There’s no point in getting mad,” he said. “It’s out of my hands. I can’t make that decision. I’ve never really been one to make a scene. Just take it and go and add it to the various other chips on my shoulder and go get some outs.”
True, just about anybody would accept his $2.8 million salary to be demoted to Triple-A. Soroka understands that, too. If you could have told 15-year-old Michael Soroka that, in 10 years, he would achieve what he has achieved in the game (first-round draft pick, major-league debut at 20, 42 career starts, an All-Star berth and a postseason start) and had an opportunity to continue it, “I would have been thrilled,” he said. “I would have been excited to be in this situation I’m in now.”
But Soroka is 25, not 15. He has persevered through two Achilles rehabs and handled it with grace. He has rebuilt his pitching mechanics to reduce stress on the tendon. His velocity has improved from where it was prior to the injuries, he said. Where his fastball was in the 91-92 mph range before, he said, “I feel like I’m looking up and seeing 94, 95 on the board much more often – some 96′s in there, as well.”
Even over the course of this season, he believes his form has improved, saying “I’m in a different stratosphere as a pitcher than I was three, four months ago.” He is pitching without pain in his Achilles. He believes he can contribute right now.
It would be easy to understand if Soroka believes he has earned the chance to continue his fine-tuning with the Braves and not in Gwinnett and contribute to the drive for the division title. One counterargument is that his ERA is 5.52 with a 1.466 WHIP. On the other hand, his ERA since his most recent callback (June 30) is a more palatable 4.12 and his WHIP is 1.271. The team averages before Wednesday’s game – 3.81 and 1.271.
It was four years ago, but he was an All-Star in 2019, the same year he dominated the Cardinals in the NLDS in his postseason debut (seven innings, one earned run, two hits, seven strikeouts and no walks) in what he said Wednesday was the best he has ever thrown.
“And that’s where it’s like, Alright, that’s me, that’s who I can be,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time to get back there.”
With chips on his shoulder, he’ll have his chance to show his employers again on Friday, when he said he is scheduled to pitch in Jacksonville. He has been told no more than that.
If he can be that pitcher, then he is presumably done with Gwinnett, and the Braves can add to their riches and weave in a trustworthy starter into their rotation. They’ll take another step towards realizing their World Series ambitions.
“I think I can (contribute) right now,” Soroka said. “If any part were to be frustrating, that’s what it would be. But, understanding, again, they have a very solid rotation and the standards are very high, which they should be. We’re trying to win a World Series, we’re trying to be the best team in the world. So at the end of the day, it’s be what I can be and I know that’ll be pretty good someday soon.”
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