Atlanta Braves: More Bad News for Mike Soroka
Mike Soroka had another setback this week as he continues to feel discomfort in his shoulder. The Atlanta Braves might not be able to count on the young righty in 2019.
The Atlanta Braves have failed to add any depth to their starting rotation so far this offseason, and it may come back to bite them as Mike Soroka is still battling shoulder discomfort.
If healthy, Soroka would have — and still could be — one of the favorites to start in the backend of the Atlanta Braves rotation.
After getting shut down for the second half of the 2018 season, it was thought Soroka was on track to pitch pain-free this season. However, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, that is not the case.
I don’t want to overreact here as Soroka is only being shut down for a week – so far – and I am sure they are being cautious, but it certainly isn’t a good sign.
Of all the young pitchers they brought up last year, Soroka showed the most promise to be a top of the rotation pitcher. If he can’t get over this shoulder discomfort, that will be a huge blow to the Braves not only for 2019 but beyond.
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And that brings us back to the fact that the Atlanta Braves have not done anything this offseason to improve or at least add depth to the starting rotation.
Instead, they’ve decided to rely on some of their young arms to improve.
As much as it pains me to see Soroka injured again, maybe this will spark the front office to make a move for a starting pitcher.
If they can’t find an ace to put at the top of the rotation, they need to at least find a veteran to bring in for the back end.
Gio Gonzalez is a guy who is still out there that could be had at a good price. James Shields is another pitcher who is at least been reliable throughout his career and could help eat some innings.
Yovani Gallardo, Clay Buchholz, and Chris Tillman are veterans who may have to take a minor league contract to prove themselves.
Hopefully this is nothing huge for Soroka and he’ll be able to start some Spring Training games soon. But either way, I hope this wakes up the Braves front office to make them realize how much they need veteran pitching depth.