The Mike Soroka injury saga in 2021 has been a rollercoaster. Before the season, it looked like he could be a part of the rotation before May. Then he had a setback with his shoulder that shut him down. Soroka began throwing a couple of weeks later, and a return before the All-Star break still seemed very possible… until the Braves received arguably the worst news of the season.
Soroka began to feel soreness in the Achilles he tore in August of 2020, and it was deemed necessary that he undergo exploratory surgery. Not too long after, Brian Snitker hinted towards him being out for the rest of the season, which was understandable given the nature of Achilles injuries. However, those comments were soon rescinded, and now it looks like he could return as early as August.
Yesterday, it was revealed exactly what caused the setback with Soroka’s Achilles. Apparently, the discomfort was due to his body rejecting the sutures in his Achilles.
Soroka said exploratory surgery confirmed his discomfort was caused by his body rejecting the sutures in his Achilles. This has rarely happened. So projecting a return date seems like just a guessing game for now. He's still in a boot and it will take time to regain calf strength
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 17, 2021
As Bowman said, this is very rare, which may just be another sign that it wasn’t meant to be for the Braves in 2021. However, Soroka isn’t nearly as pessimistic. In fact, he believes come August and September, this team will be right in the thick of the playoff race.
"I know we all think there's something that's gonna click soon and I still think that we're going to be there in September and October fighting for spots. I'd love to be there."
— @Mike_Soroka28 pic.twitter.com/67MjN7eWd0
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 17, 2021
It sure would be nice if that streak of winning happened soon. The Braves are currently 6.5 games back in the NL East and have seven matchups with the division-leading Mets coming up. If they can win most of those and stay in the race, reinforcements are on the way.
The trade deadline is sure to add some pieces. Alex Anthopoulos has already stated that the Braves have the financial flexibility to add at the deadline. However, the real firepower will come from within. Anthopoulos said Huascar Ynoa and Travis d’Arnaud are on track to return by August, and of course, Mike Soroka believes he will be back around then too. Here’s the full interview with him before Thursday’s game, where he reflects plenty of optimism regarding his potential return this season.
"It was really a relief."@Braves starter @Mike_Soroka28 provides an update on his status following exploratory surgery ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/SxuPUZvcmv
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 17, 2021
It’s been touch and go with Soroka since last year, so I’m not ready to proclaim that he will be back this season, and the Braves may not deem it worth it for him to return if they fall out of the race. However, hearing Soroka speak about the injury is very encouraging, and if Atlanta can somehow battle their way back into the playoff picture, they certainly have an ace up their sleeve.
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