The battle for the final spot in the Braves starting rotation has gone the exact opposite way everyone expected. Most people believed Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder, or Michael Soroka had the best chance of locking down the final spot.
Well, Soroka suffered a setback with a strained hamstring, while Anderson and Elder were surprisingly demoted after lackluster performances, leaving the door open for two prospects — Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster — to grab ahold of an Opening Day roster spot.
Fortunately, Michael Soroka is progressing nicely, strengthening Atlanta’s already-loaded pitching depth. According to Mark Bowman, he’s taken another step forward, throwing a live BP session this morning.
Michael Soroka threw live BP this morning. Another step toward making his first spring start
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 17, 2023
The Braves’ primary focus should be getting the Canadian back healthy; there’s no sense in rushing him, given the state of the starting rotation and his injury history.
“I need to make sure it’s gone,” Soroka said some time ago, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re not risking pushing things a couple days early to potentially set things back again. There’s no point in that. There’s no frustration, there’s just the way forward. That’s it.”
The Braves have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to pitching, and the depth couldn’t be more pertinent. Not only has Soroka been dealing with an injury, but Kyle Wright is also behind the eight ball after receiving a cortisone shot in his shoulder. The pair’s timeline will likely keep them off the Opening Day roster, but Wright is much closer to returning than Soroka.
Nobody should be surprised if Soroka is stashed in Gwinnett for a while until he shakes off the rust because Dodd and Shuster are going to be given a legitimate opportunity to contribute in Atlanta.
—
Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.