ATLANTA -- Mike Soroka brought joy to himself and countless other members of the baseball world as he pitched for the first time in 743 days.

Soroka began his Minor League rehab assignment by tossing four scoreless innings for High-A Rome against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Tuesday night. This was the first time he pitched in a game since initially tearing his right Achilles tendon on Aug. 3, 2020. He tore the same tendon while rehabbing on June 24, 2021.

Soroka still has some obstacles to clear, but his outing was cause for encouragement as he recorded eight strikeouts and was perfect into the fourth inning. He needed just 10 pitches to strike out the first three batters he faced.

After finishing this outing, Soroka told reporters he felt he had the stuff to retire big league hitters.

Soroka’s rehab assignment can last up to 30 days. This would allow him to continue making starts through the first couple weeks of September. The 25-year-old’s progress over the next few weeks will determine whether he could pitch this year. If nothing else, this rehab period will give the Braves a chance to evaluate how Soroka could fit into their 2023 plans.

Soroka debuted on May 1, 2018, but he has totaled just 37 starts (214 innings) during his injury-plagued career. He made 29 of those starts while posting a 2.68 ERA for the Braves in 2019, when he finished second for the NL Rookie of the Year Award and sixth for the NL Cy Young Award.