When will Mike Soroka return to Braves rotation this season?

Mike Soroka remains sidelined for the Atlanta Braves, but there may be a Soroka sighting soon. He burst out onto the scene with the Braves in 2019 when he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth for the Cy Young. In 2020, Soroka popped his Achillies when coming off the mound to field a ground ball.

In an interview on May 27th during the broadcast of Atlanta vs. the Miami Marlins, Soroka said that he was feeling good and expecting to return near the All-Star break. He has been long tossing, doing drills and has even started throwing some light bullpens.

Mike Soroka injury update

Since 2019, Soroka has only pitched in three games. He missed the entirety of Atlanta’s 2021 World Series run. The Braves could definitely use Soroka in their starting rotation. They are 28-27 and in second place in the NL East. Their pitching staff is sitting squarely in the middle of the rankings with a 3.85 ERA.

If and when Soroka returns, it will likely result in a current pitcher being sent down. Spencer Strider was electric out of the pen for the Braves and the team could send him from the rotation back to the bullpen. If they choose to move a starter down, it could be Ian Anderson, who has a 4.70 ERA in 10 starts this season. Either way, with Soroka saying he feels even better than he did pre-injury, he should slot back into the Braves’ rotation.