Another comeback? Soroka shines in Triple-A rehab
Mark Bowman
@mlbbowmanKANSAS CITY ?-- ?Michael Soroka¡¯s first two starts with Triple-A Gwinnett have given the right-hander further reason to feel good about his bid to once again be a part of Atlanta¡¯s pitching staff.?
Soroka has posted a 2.35 ERA, recorded eight strikeouts and issued just two walks while totaling 7 2/3 innings through his first two starts for Gwinnett. The 25-year-old right-hander is carefully going through the process of making up for the time he lost when he came to Spring Training with a strained right hamstring.
Soroka threw 60 pitches in his first start for Gwinnett and increased his pitch count to 69 on Tuesday. He has said he is open to being utilized as a reliever if the club eventually thinks he could provide value in that role. But for now, he¡¯ll continue stretching out as a starter. ? ?
The Braves are remaining optimistic as they evaluate Soroka¡¯s bid to return to the Majors since he first tore his right Achilles tendon on Aug. 3, 2020. He tore the same Achilles approximately 11 months later while simply walking into the Braves¡¯ clubhouse.?
Soroka created some more encouragement as he limited Memphis to one run and three hits over four innings on Tuesday. He had no trouble when he came off the mound to field a grounder and make a strong throw to first base in the first inning.
¡°He¡¯s a great person and teammate,¡± Braves infielder Vaughn Grissom said. ¡°It was fun to see him having success out there.¡±
Soroka finished sixth in National League Cy Young Award balloting after posting a 2.68 ERA over 29 starts in 2019. But he has made just three starts since that year and injuries have limited him to just 37 career starts since he made his MLB debut on May 1, 2018.
Here is a quick look at what is happening with each of the Braves¡¯ four Minor League affiliates:
Gwinnett
After a pair of rough starts for Atlanta, top prospect Jared Shuster got back on track while making his first Triple-A start of the season on Friday. The lefty struck out eight, walked three, surrendered three hits and allowed just one earned run over six innings against Memphis. Dylan Dodd, who also made a pair of starts for Atlanta this year, was set to make his Gwinnett season debut on Sunday.
Double-A Mississippi
The versatile Cody Milligan made a good impression during big league camp this year, and he has carried his success by hitting .367 with a homer and a 1.146 OPS in eight games entering Sunday. Milligan has played both second base and center field so far. Drew Lugbauer has continued to produce some big whiff rates. He has a team-high three homers, but has struck out in 12 of his first 23 at-bats.
High-A Rome
Drake Baldwin has gotten off to a good start, hitting .333 with two doubles and a .964 OPS through his first five games. When the Braves drafted Baldwin in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft, they said they felt his defensive skills had improved enough for him to continue serving as a catcher during his professional career. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker liked what he saw when the young catcher was behind the plate during Spring Training.
Single-A Augusta
Owen Murphy and JR Ritchie made their season debuts this weekend and showed why the Braves were so excited to land both right-handed pitchers in the first round of last summer¡¯s MLB Draft. Murphy recorded six strikeouts and allowed just two hits over four scoreless innings against the Down East Wood Ducks on Friday. Ritchie struck out seven of the nine batters he faced while throwing three perfect innings against this same club on Saturday.