Mike Soroka to begin long-awaited rehab assignment on Tuesday with High-A Rome, per report

Mike Soroka will begin his long-awaited rehab assignment with the High-A Rome Braves on Tuesday, August 16, according to a tweet from David O’Brien of The Athletic.

Soroka, who is just 25 years old, is attempting to come back from a twice-ruptured right Achilles that required three surgeries. He first tore the tendon during a game in the shortened 2020 season, and then tore it again in June 2021 while walking to the clubhouse at Truist Park.

Soroka had been throwing bullpen sessions during the summer months but was then shut down with soreness. It appears he is now ready to take a very large step in his recovery and pitch in a competitive game.

Braves fans everywhere — the entire baseball world, really — will be rooting for Soroka during his recovery. While it still doesn’t seem probable that he will be able to make an impact on this year’s club after nearly three years have passed since the last time he made regular starts, the mental hurdle of getting back on a mound and trusting his body will be huge for the lanky righty. It will also give the Braves’ front office an opportunity to examine Soroka prior to the offseason, where he will be arbitration eligible for the second winter in a row. A dream scenario is to have Mike back in the rotation and throwing well in 2023.

Before the injury, Soroka owned a stellar 2.86 ERA across 37 starts. He placed second in the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year voting.