Wednesday was a memorable day for Braves country. Ian Anderson delivered perhaps the best MLB debut for a pitcher in franchise history, and Max Fried strengthened his bid for the NL Cy Young award, leading to a sweep over one of baseball’s best teams.
Atlanta’s offense is nearing full health. Ronald Acuña and Nick Markakis returned to the lineup yesterday, and Ozzie Albies is nearing a return. But despite all the good that has happened of late, it’s hard not to think about what could have been if Mike Soroka did not suffer a devastating Achilles injury earlier this month. That would have made Atlanta look that much more dominant in their quest to bring the city its first championship since 1995. The Braves’ ace took some time out of his day yesterday to talk to the media, and you wouldn’t know he just experienced one of the most traumatic injuries for any athlete.
Soroka was his typical upbeat self, hyping up his friend and new teammate Ian Anderson, while also providing us with some updates on the timetable for his return.
Mike Soroka offers an update on his recovery process after a successful surgery on his torn right Achilles ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/QmT9ucLx7l
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) August 26, 2020
The 22-year-old underwent a successful surgery and is now taking advice from other major leaguers who have experienced the same injury. Right now, the leg is still immobilized, and Soroka won’t really have an idea how long he will be out until about the five-month mark.
Mike Soroka is hoping around the 5-month mark in his recovery and rehab he'll have a clearer idea of a timetable to return. He's spoken with Adam Wainwright and will talk with Zach Britton, both who went through same injury. #Braves
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 26, 2020
Soroka also was asked when he knew how severe the injury was, and his answer isn’t surprising. He said he heard his Achilles pop and knew right away he would be out for a while.
#Braves Mike Soroka on knowing his season was over immediately upon tearing his achilles:
"I've pulled enough muscles to know it wasn't muscle-related. I heard it, too. So, that probably didn't help."
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 26, 2020
As Soroka said in the video above, he’d love to be one of the people who recovers the fastest. However, it is all about making sure everything is strong before returning, which realistically could take an entire year or longer. If Soroka is back and healthy by the All-Star break next season, it will be a remarkable recovery. Either way, it’s terrific to see Soroka in good spirits, and he seems like the type of person that can persevere through such an unfortunate injury.
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