In order to avoid being swept for just the second time this season, the Atlanta Braves will have to beat one of their homegrown arms.
Former Braves first-round draft pick Michael Soroka will return to pitch in his former ballpark for the second time when Atlanta closes out a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET.
Soroka (8-3, 2.92 ERA) was 17-8 with a 3.32 ERA over 44 games (43 starts) spanning four injury-affected seasons with the Braves. He’s now on his fourth team over the last three seasons since leaving Atlanta and has been extremely effective on the one-year, $7.5 million contract he signed with the Diamondbacks.
This will be just Soroka’s second start back from an injured list stint with a left glute strain. In his first start back on Monday, he allowed three hits over 4 1/3 scoreless innings for Arizona, striking out four and walking three.
Soroka allowed two runs over four innings in his first career road start at Truist Park last season for Washington. He’s 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, eight hits allowed, seven strikeouts and four walks in two career starts against Atlanta.
Soroka will be facing someone who he briefly overlapped with in Atlant, right-hander Bryce Elder (8-7, 4.03 ERA). Elder debuted in 2022, when Soroka was sidelined with his second Achilles tear. Soroka made his final seven appearances with the Braves in 2023, Elder’s first full season at the major league level.
While Soroka was effective his last time out, the same can’t be said for Elder, who allowed seven runs on 10 hits over five innings in Monday’s 8-5 loss to the Mets. It was a tough setback for the right-hander, who had allowed one earned run in each of his prior three starts and a combined eight earned runs in his prior five starts spanning 28 innings (2.57 ERA).
Elder did bounce back relatively well (and saved the bullpen) by navigating four more innings of two-run ball after he was tagged for a controversial five-run first inning which probably shouldn’t have been. But still, the results are all that matter at the end of the day, leaving a bitter taste and more questions about Elder’s potential postseason role.
Elder took the loss in a game at Arizona back on April 4 despite allowing just two unearned runs on four hits over seven innings. He’s 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, August 16th, 1:35 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: BravesVision
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM