Cubs' Michael Soroka: Logs two scoreless frames in return
Rotowire
Soroka tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Monday's 4-0 win over the Pirates. He walked two batters and struck out two.
Soroka was activated from the injured list before the game after missing a little more than a month of action due to a right shoulder strain. The veteran righty made 16 starts for Washington earlier this year and one with Chicago after coming over at the trade deadline, but it appears that he'll now fit into the Cubs' bullpen in a long-relief role. It's a hit to Soroka's fantasy value, though he did excel as a long reliever for the crosstown White Sox last season, posting a 2.75 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 36 innings.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Returns from 15-day IL
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The Cubs activated Soroka (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Monday.
Soroka has been sidelined since early August with a right shoulder strain but has been cleared to return after making one 2.1-inning rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa this past Thursday. All 17 of Soroka's appearances this season have come as a starter, but he appears slated for a relief role with the Cubs in the final two weeks of the campaign. Soroka excelled in a bullpen role last season with the White Sox, posting a 2.75 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 36 frames.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Expected to return during road trip
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Soroka (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list at some point during the Cubs' upcoming seven-game road trip that begins Monday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Soroka has been on the shelf since early August after straining his right shoulder in his Cubs debut Aug. 4. The right-hander was cleared to rejoin the big club afte he made a lone rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, giving up one run on a solo homer while striking out three batters over 2.1 innings. The right-hander reached only 38 total pitches in that outing, so the Cubs are presumably preparing him to serve as a multi-inning reliever rather than as a starter.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Return pending
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Soraka (shoulder) will be returned from his minor-league rehab assignment, and his next appearance will be for the Cubs, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports Friday.
Soroka threw 2.1 innings with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, tossing 38 pitches. He's expected to rejoin the big-league roster in the coming days, though it's unclear when exactly the move will come. Considering he's not stretched out to handle a starter's workload and the Cubs have five healthy starters on the active roster, Soroka seems slated for a multi-inning role out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old has started in all 17 of his big-league appearances this season -- 16 with Washington, one with Chicago.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Records seven outs
Rotowire
Soroka (shoulder) allowed one earned run on one hit and no walks while striking out three across 2.1 innings in a rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday.
Soroka was initially scheduled to make the rehab outing Wednesday, but it was instead pushed to Thursday. He allowed a solo home run to Jack Suwinski (groin) but otherwise looked sharp while throwing 38 pitches. He should be in line to return from the injured list in short order but likely won't be ready for a full starter's workload immediately upon rejoining the Cubs.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Possibly nearing return
Rotowire
Soroka (shoulder) is scheduled for a multi-inning rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, and he could rejoin the Cubs soon after that, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Soroka has been out since his first and only appearance for the Cubs back on Aug. 4 after he was acquired from the Nationals prior to the trade deadline. The veteran has been building up in a throwing program as he recovers from a strain to his right shoulder, and the rehab appearance may be his last step in the process. The Cubs also could be grooming Soroka for a long-relief role, as the rotation currently includes Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea, with Jameson Taillon (groin) set to return from the injured list Wednesday. Soroka's best chance at starting would likely be bumping Rea as the No. 5 starter at some point.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Throws live batting practice
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Soroka (shoulder) threw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
It's the first time Soroka has faced hitters since he landed on the 15-day injured list in early August with a right shoulder strain. The right-hander has a chance to make it back before the end of the season, but he still has some ramping up to do, particularly if the Cubs want to bring him back as a starting pitcher.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Set to throw off mound Tuesday
Rotowire
Soroka (shoulder) has resumed playing catch and is set to throw off a mound Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
Soroka, who came over to Chicago in a trade before the deadline, left his team debut Aug. 4 after just two innings and 31 pitches due to a right shoulder strain. The veteran righty seems to be slowly working his way back, and the Cubs are targeting a mid-September return to the majors. Soroka could slot back into the rotation when healthy, either bumping No. 5 starter Colin Rea to the bullpen or potentially filling in for Jameson Taillon, who left his last start early due to left groin tightness.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
The Cubs placed Soroka on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to a right shoulder strain, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.
The right-hander was removed from Monday's start against the Reds due to shoulder discomfort, with manager Craig Counsell saying after the game that an IL stint would be necessary. Soroka will be eligible to be reinstated Aug. 20, though it wouldn't be surprising if a longer absence is necessary given the nature of the injury.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Will require IL stint
Rotowire
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after Monday's 3-2 loss that Soroka (shoulder) is expected to be placed on the 15-day injured list, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The club is presumably still in the process of running more tests on Soroka's shoulder, but the right-hander's injury is considered significant enough that he'll need to be shelved for at least two weeks. Acquired from the Nationals ahead of the trade deadline, Soroka lasted just two innings in his Cubs debut, striking out three while giving up one earned run on one hit and one walk before exiting with shoulder discomfort. Ben Brown tossed four innings of one-run ball in long relief and is likely the leading candidate to replace Soroka in the rotation.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Exits start early
Rotowire
Soroka left his start Monday against the Reds due to an apparent injury, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports. He allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out three over two innings prior to departing.
The team has yet to provide an update on Soroka, whose team debut was cut short after he tossed just 31 pitches over two frames. Ben Brown was called upon to work in long-relief option following Soroka's early exit.
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Cubs' Michael Soroka: Team debut set for Monday
Rotowire
Soroka is slated to start Monday's game against the Reds at Wrigley Field.
After coming over from Washington in a deadline deal, Soroka will claim a spot in the back end of the Cubs rotation in place of right-hander Ben Brown, who appears to have been moved to the bullpen. Over his 16 starts with the Nationals this season, Soroka sported a 4.87 ERA, but his 1.13 WHIP, career-best 18.4 K-BB% and 4.05 xFIP all suggest that he pitched better than his ERA indicated.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Labors in abbreviated outing
Rotowire
Soroka didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Astros, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out four.
Soroka struggled with efficiency Tuesday, running his pitch count up to 74 before his night concluded. Two of his hits allowed went for extra bases, and the 27-year-old right-hander remains without a quality start in any of his past five outings. Soroka holds a rough 4.87 ERA across 81.1 frames, although his strong 1.13 WHIP and 87:24 K:BB are perhaps more indicative of the quality of his pitching. He'll remain a shaky fantasy option overall and is a prime candidate to be moved prior to the trade deadline.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Keeps Nats close Friday
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Soroka did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings in the loss to the Padres.
Soroka turned in a solid outing Friday, with the only damage coming on a second-inning sacrifice fly from Jake Cronenworth. However, a lack of offensive support from Washington's lineup once again left the right-hander without a chance at a win. Still, it was a step in the right direction for the 27-year-old, who has now allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts. Soroka will carry a 5.10 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 77:21 K:BB into his next start, which is scheduled for Wednesday against the Reds.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Rebounds despite loss
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Soroka (3-7) took the loss Thursday against St. Louis, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out four.
Soroka allowed seven runs to the Red Sox in his previous start, making Thursday's outing a bounce-back effort. Still, the Nationals didn't offer much run support, leaving the 27-year-old with his fourth loss in six outings. Soroka will take a 5.35 ERA and a 74:19 K:BB over 63.1 innings into the All-Star break.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Fans 10 in no-decision
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Soroka didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the Dodgers, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
Soroka kept the Dodgers scoreless through five innings and notched all 10 of his Ks before the sixth, but he was quickly bounced from the contest in the sixth frame. He allowed a ground-rule double, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, loading the bases for Jose Ferrer, who served up a grand slam to Max Muncy. Soroka has posted seven or more Ks in three of his last four starts, owning a 4.03 ERA and a 31:8 K:BB across 22.1 innings. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Angels next weekend.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Gets plenty of support in win
Rotowire
Soroka (2-3) allowed four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three over 5.1 innings to earn the win Saturday over the Diamondbacks.
The Nationals put up 10 runs before Soroka threw a pitch, so he was able to work without much pressure. It wasn't all that effective of an outing, but he did enough to take care of business and earn his second win in the last three starts. This was the third start in a row in which he's pitched into the sixth inning. Soroka has a 5.81 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 28:6 K:BB over 31 innings through six starts this season.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Earns first win
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Soroka (1-2) earned the win against the Orioles on Sunday, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks with eight strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Soroka took advantage of an early lead, tossing four scoreless innings before allowing three runs across the fifth and sixth frames. The 27-year-old generated 10 whiffs in his longest outing of the season, though he was limited to only 82 pitches. He'll take a 5.95 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 23:4 KBB across 19.2 innings into a home matchup with the Giants next weekend.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Four innings in revenge game
Rotowire
Soroka didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Atlanta, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk over four innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander made his big-league debut with Atlanta in 2018, but his first career start against his former club wasn't exactly a triumph as Soroka managed only six swinging strikes among 81 pitches (53 total strikes) before getting the hook with the score tied 2-2. In two starts since recovering from a biceps strain and returning to the Nats' rotation, Soroka has been tagged for six runs in nine innings with a 12:3 K:BB. He lines up to take the mound again this weekend on the road in Baltimore.
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Nationals' Michael Soroka: Fans eight in return to rotation
Rotowire
Soroka (0-2) took the loss Wednesday as the Nationals fell 8-6 to the Guardians, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks over five-plus innings. He struck out eight.
Making his first start since March 31 after recovering from a bicep strain, Soroka blanked Cleveland through five frames before running out of gas in the sixth -- he put the first four batters aboard on two singles, a hit by pitch and a double prior to exiting, as part of an eight-run inning for the Guardians. On the bright side, Soroka generated an impressive 30 called or swinging strikes among his 78 pitches. The right-hander will look for a better result in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week against Atlanta, the team he made his MLB debut with in 2018.
