Braves Rumors: Mike Soroka sent down, Marcell Ozuna consequences, trade talk
By Mark Powell
Braves Rumors: Mike Soroka sent down
Despite the Atlanta Braves rotation issues, Mike Soroka isn’t cutting it. Through two starts, Soroka had an ERA over eight, and was sent down to the minors as a result.
Soroka was optioned to the minors in a series of roster moves, which included adding Max Fried to the 60-day injured list. This isn’t seen as a major setback for Fried, who was always bound to miss this much time. The move is backdated, as well, so Fried is still expected to be back in July or early August at the latest.
As for Soroka, he will have to work his way back to the major leagues once again. While Soroka was an incredible story, Atlanta is a competitive team, and is set on making another run to the postseason.
Per Atlanta Braves insider David O’Brien, the move to demote Soroka was swift and rather surprising:
“Though Soroka struggled, particularly Sunday, the swiftness of this demotion back to Triple A surprised many. But the #Braves are making the pitching moves they believe give them best chance to win, and win now,” O’Brien said via Twitter.
This could mean that A.J. Smith-Shawver, just 20 years old, will receive his first start next weekend. Smith-Shawver has impressed the Braves since being called up, retiring seven of the eight batters he’s faced in rather swift fashion.