Mike Soroka time? Braves shake up rotation with series of roster moves

The Atlanta Braves sent Jared Shuster to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, signaling an effort to get him more regular playing time in the rotation.

Atlanta has shook up its starting rotation in recent days, including activating Kolby Allard, who started on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins. Allard threw just under five innings of shutout ball, striking out eight batters while walking three. He will almost certainly earn another run through the Braves rotation.

In the meantime, though, Atlanta is trying to find a way to get their three horses — Charlie Morton, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder — some rest prior to the All-Star Break while also ensuring that young pitchers Jared Shuster and A.J. Smith-Shawver get playing time. What that means is some dugout musical chairs the likes of which have never been seen on the road between Truist Park and Gwinnett, where Smith-Shawver and Shuster have been sent to wait their turn.

Will the Atlanta Braves call Mike Soroka back up?

Soroka is a fan favorite in the ATL, and rightly so. He used to be an NL All-Star level pitcher prior to a series of injuries which cost him the better part of two seasons. In spring training, he was in the conversation to make the roster, though instead started the campaign in the minors. In limited playing time in the majors this year, he’s shown some flashes, but also proven why Anthopoulos and the coaching staff wanted to bring him along slow to begin with.

When Atlanta optioned Smith-Shawver to the minors, fans assumed that Soroka would get the call. They were wrong, as Allard pitched instead. Will Soroka again be skipped over in favor of another hurler?

Having so many pitchers available is a blessing for the Braves at this point in the season. However, they’ll need some help prior to the trade deadline, whether that’s in the form of Max Fried and Kyle Wright’s safe return, or reinforcements from elsewhere.