Soroka bounces back in return start with Gwinnett

ATLANTA -- Michael Soroka made just two big league starts before it became apparent he needed more time at the Minor League level. Now he appears ready to show he could still be an asset in Atlanta at some point this year.

Soroka limited Triple-A Charlotte to one run and three hits over six innings on Saturday night. This was the first start he made since being sent down to Gwinnett.

“I think he still needs to get those reps down at Triple-A, and I think he thinks the same,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That’s a long time, when you pitch regularly and then take 2 1/2 years off. We’re just going to let him work on things and get himself squared away.”

There was certainly reason for celebration when Soroka started in Oakland on May 29. Just by stepping back on a big league mound, he beat the great odds he faced after twice tearing his right Achilles tendon. He suffered the first tear during a start on Aug. 3, 2020 and the second approximately 11 months later, while nearing the end of a year-long rehab.

But while getting back was nice, Soroka’s goal has always been to return and prove he can be an effective big league pitcher. He allowed four runs over six innings in that start against the A's. He created more alarm when he again showed inconsistent command while walking four, surrendering seven hits and allowing five runs over just 3 2/3 innings in his next start against the D-backs.

“Maybe it’s a process, but we’re back in the big leagues now, it’s time to get outs,” Soroka said. “If it were still time to work on things, I wouldn’t be here yet.”

Soroka said this following his start in Arizona. But the encouraging results he produced during his first start back in Triple-A indicated he’s mentally ready to accept this next challenge to return and stick at the big league level.

AFFILIATE ROUNDUP

TRIPLE-A GWINNETT: Braden Shewmake entered Sunday hitting just .167 with a .542 OPS since returning from his big league stint on May 19. It certainly didn’t help that he didn’t get any plate appearances while filling a spot on Atlanta’s bench over a two-week span. But he’s been back with Gwinnett for three weeks and still has just a .538 OPS over his past eight games.

DOUBLE-A MISSISSIPPI: Outfielder Jesse Franklin missed the first month of this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He homered in two of his first five games back. He hasn’t shown as much power recently, but he still entered Sunday with an .837 OPS over his past 10 games. He had five doubles and a homer during that span.

HIGH-A ROME: David McCabe earned a promotion after producing an .874 OPS over 42 games with Single-A Augusta this year. But the 23-year-old college product entered Sunday with just a .701 OPS over his first eight games for Rome.

SINGLE-A AUGUSTA: As highly-regarded prospect JR Ritchie recovers from Tommy John surgery, he can draw inspiration from the fact Spencer Schwellenbach has returned from that same procedure and posted a 2.94 ERA over his first 10 career pro starts. Schwellenbach was taken out of the University of Nebraska in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The Braves used last summer’s first-round picks on Ritchie and Owen Murphy, who has a 4.80 ERA over his first nine starts for Augusta this year.