Michael Soroka thriving with Diamondbacks before glute injury

PHOENIX – Michael Soroka looked like the future ace of the Atlanta Braves.

Selected 28th overall in the 2015 MLB Draft, the Calgary native quickly climbed the organization’s farm system ladder. In 2017, he was a top-100 prospect and just two years later he was an All-Star, posting a 2.68 ERA while finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in Cy Young voting.

Soroka appeared poised to anchor a major league rotation for years to come.

His rise came to an abrupt halt.

A torn right Achilles tendon cut short his 2020 season. Less than a year later, while rehabilitating the injury, Soroka re-tore the same Achilles tendon, delaying his return yet again.

Since making his debut in 2018, Soroka has landed on the injured list 11 times, limiting him to just 415.2 innings before this season.

“Everything I had to work through with injuries eventually forced me to figure out how to stay on the field,” Soroka said. “Part of that came down to mechanics and my delivery.”

Those adjustments have paid off in Arizona.

After signing a one-year, $7.5 million contract with the Diamondbacks last offseason, Soroka, 28, has enjoyed the best start to a season since his All-Star campaign. Through 15 starts, he is 8-3 with a 3.07 ERA, striking out 79 batters over 82 innings while posting a 1.085 WHIP, his lowest since 2019.

Soroka said his time with the Chicago Cubs late last season helped him refine his pitch mix.

“The Cubs were able to show me some things I could do with a couple of new pitches,” he said. “I integrated those with the Diamondbacks here and they are definitely working.”

Last season, Soroka relied almost exclusively on his four-seam fastball and curveball. This season, while still throwing those two pitches the most, he has utilized a changeup, cutter and sinker more often. Soroka has also lowered his arm angle from 33 degrees to 27, according to Baseball Savant.

“When you feel like the hitter might not know what’s coming, I feel a little bit more comfortable throwing balls completely over the plate,” Soroka told reporters following his June 13 start. “Last year, I think I ran into struggles because I didn’t have those extra pitches. Second, third time around, these guys were seeing the same two (pitches), four-seam, curveball, over and over again.”

The results have allowed Soroka to gain the trust of his manager.

“He’s been on a great run,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters after Soroka’s June 13 outing. “He’s executing two or three pitches. He can sequence the right way. We can depend on him to go out there and do the things he did.”

Soroka has also made an impression on the defense behind him.

“He does a great job for us,” Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “He works fast, which we love as defensive players and obviously as an offense too because we can get back to the dugout.”

Arenado said Soroka’s tempo keeps the defense engaged.

“His pace is just phenomenal,” Arenado said. “He gets a lot of balls on the ground and as a defender you love that because he keeps you locked in and gets you plays.”

Arenado also praised Soroka’s presence in the clubhouse.

“He’s a phenomenal teammate,” Arenado said. “He’s a great dude, so it’s been really cool to play with him and watch him succeed like he has been.”

Earlier in his career, Soroka said much of his success came naturally. Now, that’s not the case.

“I’m a completely different pitcher than I was back then,” he said. “In some ways, I was doing it a little bit by accident, not to say I didn’t know what I was doing on the mound, but I didn’t necessarily understand how I was doing it.”

Just as Soroka was putting together his strongest season in years, another injury interrupted his momentum.

He exited his most recent start on June 19 with a glute injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks, likely keeping him out until shortly after the All-Star break.

Lovullo isn’t sure when Soroka can officially return, but is encouraged by his progress.

“That glute injury is fairly asymptomatic, so he’s going to be in his throwing program and building up as fast as he can,” Lovullo told reporters on June 29. “Hopefully it’s not a long period of time before he gets back here, but I don’t have an exact day.”

The Diamondbacks will need him to return soon as they fight to stay competitive in the crowded National League playoff race.

For Soroka, however, the journey means more than the statistics.

“It’s extremely rewarding,” he said. “Going through that entire process and knowing that I’ve made all of these adjustments over the last four years to give myself a chance to do this again is very satisfying.”

Still, he knows the comeback is not complete.

“Obviously, it’s a long season and we’re not even halfway through yet,” Soroka said. “It’s been a good run, but I know very well that it’s about continuing to do it, not just this year, but hopefully for many years to come.”