Michael Soroka only three pitches in today’s outing before leaving with what the White Sox announced as right shoulder soreness. More will be known once Soroka undergoes testing, though shoulder inflammation brought an early end to both his 2022 and 2023 seasons, and he had other shoulder issues in his first two Major League seasons in 2018-19. Beyond these shoulder problems, Soroka missed almost the entirety of the 2020-22 seasons due to a pair of torn Achilles tendons, but he returned to the Show to pitch 32 1/3 innings of 6.40 ERA ball with the Braves last year.
Atlanta then shipped Soroka and four other players to Chicago in the Aaron Bummer trade last November, and Soroka’s first season with the Sox has been a struggle, as he has a 5.25 ERA over 72 innings and he lost his rotation job in May. Soroka’s 3.49 ERA as a reliever is a big step up from his 6.39 ERA as a starter, though this latest shoulder injury could bring another unwelcome wrinkle to his career. It could also impact Chicago’s trade deadline plans, as an impending free agent like Soroka is an obvious trade candidate, and a healthy multi-inning reliever would appeal to several teams.
More from around the American League as we head into the All-Star break…
- The Royals started their deadline moves with a bang on Saturday, acquiring Hunter Harvey from the Nationals for third base prospect Cayden Wallace and Kansas City’s Competitive Balance Round A pick in this year’s draft. (Washington used the 39th overall pick on Cal catcher Caleb Lomavita.) “What we came to realize is if you’re going to acquire a quality relief pitcher with years of control, it’s not going to be a comfortable trade to make. You’re going to have to give up something to get something,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters. K.C. was known to be looking for bullpen help, and Harvey brings “great depth” to the relief corps, though Picollo said the team was “happy with” James McArthur’s work as closer. “The depth was the focus for us and having more options at the back end of the game,” Picollo said.
- Astros GM Dana Brown provided an update on Lance McCullers Jr. during a pregame radio appearance today (hat tip to Chandler Rome of The Athletic). McCullers’ rehab from flexor surgery was halted earlier this week due to some soreness in his right arm, and Brown said “we just have to let time heal and we can’t push him.” A return by September to work as a reliever is a possibility, Brown said, which is itself notable since McCullers has started 127 of his 130 career big league games. A variety of injuries have cost McCullers the entirety of both the 2019 and 2023 seasons, and limited him to 265 innings over the 2020-22 campaigns. The exact nature of McCullers’ latest issue isn’t known, but Brown somewhat ominously said that the righty had gotten “his second opinion” about the setback.
- The Blue Jays were known to be pushing to sign Joc Pederson last winter, before Pederson landed with the Diamondbacks on a one-year deal worth $12.5MM in guaranteed money. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith recently spoke with Pederson about his offseason talks with Toronto, and Pederson said he had a FaceTime conversation with GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider that seemed to go well, though negotiations didn’t progress much further. “They just I guess didn’t want me as bad as some other teams and weren’t able to really put together an offer when it was time for me to make a decision….From the conversations we had on the phone and how interested they were in adding a left-handed bat, their actions didn’t match their words, I guess you could say,” Pederson said. “They said everything went really well and then didn’t want to offer what other teams did.” The veteran slugger didn’t have any displeasure with how things worked out, and even left the door open to potentially play for the Jays in the future. Pederson is having an excellent season as a righty-mashing DH in Arizona, hitting .273/.374/.498 with 13 homers over 277 plate appearances with the D’Backs.
That’s brutal to see about Soroka. As a Braves fan it was incredible to see what he could do each turn before the injury bug nipped him. His pitches had such life on them. His abilities were in that his pitches went down. I see they don’t do that anymore. Time to start aiming to be a coach or for the booth Michael. He has a great voice and could get on TV or the radio. It’s been a terribly unlucky last 5 years for Soroka.
He would have been contributing with the braves this year had he not had all of those injuries
Had no idea Soroka was 0-10 this year for the White Sox. That alone has to be disheartening.
I want to see joc get more lefty on lefty at bats, I feel like every game he gets pulled for a righty bat despite pederson hitting like an all star
He’s a platoon bat, it’s right there in the article? There’s a reason he doesn’t face LHP.
KC can say all the right things about only acquiring Harvey for depth, but in reality, he’s gonna be their closer. JMHO, but I saw McArthur pitch in the minors when he was with the Phillies. Wasn’t much to get excited about. Plus, McArthur lacks the K ability teams want from the guy tasked with closing out the ninth inning. To wit, you don’t give up what KC gave up for a seventh inning guy. Roto players should take note and sweep up Harvey if they need Saves.
McArthur has almost 5 runs allowed per nine. Lots of unearned runs. Sure, there are times that is entirely fluky but I don’t think those runs should be overlooked (his era is 4 basically as it is). That said the 7th is just as important, arguably a bit more so. Teams that are gonna win will absolutely give up a lot for any good reliever, 7th, 9th, doesn’t matter.
The 7-8 innings are definitely important. That’s why they created a category for holds.
I always looked at it like extra innings. You can’t get caught saving your best reliever for a save that may not come. You gotta get to the ninth first and foremost. Also the closer is only gonna pitch in a tie or with a lead. But the earlier pitchers are also charged with keeping the close game where it is which is practically the same as pitching in a tie. So I’d suspect they are involved in more tight situations than the closer and probably also pitch at least a few extra innings over the year. Is a 3 run game with 3 outs to go really a pressure situation? The closer is free to give up a couple runs. If I did that in the 7th I’d hurt the teams chances of winning. This is why the 7th and 8th are more important imo
I think McArthur would have to blow a couple to lose the job. Harvey hasn’t been lights out this year so he’s not just going to be handed the job
James McArthur’s work on Hawaii Five-0 was far superior to his work as a closer. Book ’em Dan O.
McCullers? You talking about that guy in the Hospitality business?
He’s out for the season. Does he need to be shown the exit, right after Montero?