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Mike Soroka will undergo exploratory surgery on his Achilles tendon after feeling discomfort over the last week. It will be his second surgery in the last nine months. His 2021 season is likely over before it ever began, although the club has not confirmed he is done for the year.
Last August, Soroka tore his Achilles tendon and missed the remainder of the shortened 2020 campaign. After slowly bringing him along this spring, Soroka appeared to be in the clear with the Achilles but then began to feel shoulder discomfort — something he has dealt with in the past — and was shut down for four weeks. As he attempted to build up his arm strength and potentially return to the Braves at some point this summer, the Achilles began to bother him again.
Snitker: I hate this for (Soroka) to have this setback. ... We won’t know until the surgeon gets in there and sees what’s going on. ... There was just something not right and he could tell. #Braves
— Cory McCartney (@coryjmccartney) May 12, 2021
We can only hope Mike comes back stronger and healthier than before. As for the Braves, the club is decently positioned to be without their young righty with the emergence of Huascar Ynoa and encouraging signs from Bryse Wilson. Nonetheless, being without Soroka for the long haul is a substantial loss for a team that has struggled to get consistent pitching on the mound.