Braves news: Date set for Michael Soroka return, but is it too late?

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Michael Soroka will be making his return later this week.

It has been a long and winding road for Michael Soroka back to the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation…

Since being the best pitcher on the Atlanta starting staff four years ago, Soroka has ruptured his Achilles twice and suffered one setback after another. Soroka missed all of the 2021 MLB season and the 2022 campaign at the big league level. Still only 25 years old, there is a slight chance Soroka’s best baseball is in front of him. Of course, he will need to make the team out of camp.

Braves skipper Brian Snitker said will be back on the mound for Atlanta on Wednesday in their spring training game vs. the Detroit Tigers.

Snitker spoke on how excited he was about Soroka’s return to David O’Brien of The Athletic.

"“Very. It’s been a while. That speed bump obviously was unexpected. But it’s OK.”"

Soroka has been sidelined with a hamstring issues for much of Spring Training. He is still technically in contention for the fifth spot in the Atlanta rotation, but even with Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder being optioned, it feels like a two-man race between Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster.

Frankly, it feels too little, too late for Soroka to be the fifth man Atlanta trots out every fifth day.

Atlanta Braves: Michael Soroka to make next start Wednesday vs. Detroit Tigers

Look. I would love nothing more than for Soroka to return to the major leagues, but I can’t trust him to say healthy for the life of me. The good news for him and the Braves is he does not need to be rushed back out of desperation. Atlanta has depth in its rotation both at the major-league and minor-league levels. Again, we are only talking about the fifth spot in the Braves starting rotation.

Even though Kyle Wright has not thrown much this spring, he is firmly a top-four starter for the Braves, alongside Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Spencer Strider. This is a terrific spot to be in. However, we know all too well how quickly things can change. Wright had no big-league success prior to last season and Strider was a complete revelation, who initially was slated to be a closer!

Ultimately, whoever pitches better down the stretch between Dodd and Shuster will get that fifth spot in the rotation to make the Opening Day roster because they have earned it. Even though the Braves have won the NL East five years in a row and the World Series in 2021, now is not the time to be complacent. One could argue this Braves team is the favorite to win it all during this season.

If Soroka is healthy enough to pitch solidly, he will make his Atlanta return, but will not be rushed.