Braves have every reason to be worried with latest Mike Soroka update

As the Atlanta Braves get things rolling in Spring Training, the return of Mike Soroka is anticipated but there’s reason to worry about the latest update.

Spring Training is now underway and one of the big storylines for the Atlanta Braves is the back end of the rotation. We know that Max Fried and Spencer Strider will headline this group while Kyle Wright is looking to build off a tremendous 2022 campaign. But beyond that, there is uncertainty.

And it’s that uncertainty that the return of Mike Soroka could potentially answer. The 25-year-old righty hasn’t been on the field for the Braves since making three starts in the 2020 season after suffering two separate Achilles tears and then elbow soreness in his rehabilitation that have sidelined him after an auspicious start to his career.

He’s been making progress all offseason but, on Friday, there was a concerning update out of Florida and the Braves camp regarding Soroka.

Manager Brian Snitker told the media on Friday that Soroka would be held out and monitored after telling the team he was dealing with hamstring tightness upon his arrival at Spring Training earlier this week.

Braves news: Mike Soroka update is definite cause for concern

On the surface, hamstring tightness shouldn’t be too much to worry about. But for a pitcher who has dealt with back-to-back severe lower-body injuries, any type of ailment before Spring Training has even started is worrisome, to say the least.

This isn’t to say that this will all be doom and gloom for Soroka. There’s a good chance that sitting him out will be enough and then he can start taking the mound to try and earn his spot in the rotation. However, it’s hard not to have a bad feeling in the pit of the stomach whenever any sort of injury pops up with the right-hander after the last two years.

Assuming that all goes well and he is back throwing soon, though, Soroka could be a huge addition to the rotation. He was an All-Star in 2019 at just 19 years old with a 13-4 record and 2.68 ERA over 29 starts and has a career 2.86 ERA over 37 starts. He’s been the goods. And now the hope is that he can get back to that All-Star-caliber form as he makes his return.

More importantly, the hope is that he’s healthy and stays that way. In that light, the Braves have to be holding their collective breath that the hamstring tightness isn’t even a thought sooner rather than later.