Former Braves All-Star Returns to Atlanta With NL East Rival

The former Atlanta Braves All-Star returns for the first time and as a member of the Washington Nationals rotation

It's homecoming week for the former Braves starter | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

It's reunion week when the Atlanta Braves host the Washington Nationals for a four-game series. Michael Soroka (who Braves fans know as Mike) will make his return to Atlanta for the first time since he was traded to the Chicago White Sox following the 2023 season.

He'll be the Nationals' starting pitcher on Tuesday, going toe to toe with Spencer Schwellenbach.

There was a time where Soroka was one of the most promising starters in the Braves rotation. In 2019, he was an All-Star at 21 years old. He finished sixth in the Cy Young voting (Mets Jacob DeGrom won) and second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.

In 2020, he became the youngest pitcher in team history to make an Opening Day start at 22 years and 354 days old. That was where things peak. Three starts into 2020, his season was over. He tore his right Achilles tendon, ending his season. He'd miss all of 2021 and 2022 due to one injury after another. The Achilles just wouldn't heal.

Soroka finally made his return to the Braves in 2023. He make seven apperances, six starts, and pitched to a 6.40 ERA. The injury bug caught him again. This time, it was forearm inflammation. He was shutdown for the remainder of the season, and his time in a Braves uniform was over.

He mainly pitched out of the bullpen for the White Sox in 2024. However, when the Nationals signed him in December, they brough him in to make him a starter again. In two starts this season, Soroka has a 7.20 ERA across 10 innings pitched.

A bounce-back outing now has to come in front of his old home crowd. Fans who remember that one dominant season will likely give him some sort of applause when he gets on the mound. A thank you for the memories if you will.