Michael Soroka's Bounce-Back Comes at Right Time for Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka pieced together a strong, encouraging start against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night at Chase Field. He looked much more like the arm he was prior to his two Injured List stints this season.

The Diamondbacks were in need of another win, despite Corbin Carroll's dramatic walk-off homer on Monday night.

The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies — the two closest teams to Arizona in the playoff race — both lost Tuesday, so the Diamondbacks faced an opportunity to gain playoff ground.

And Soroka, whose first appearance back from injury came in long relief, certainly gave Arizona a chance to gain said ground with his performance in front of the Chase Field crowd.

Michael Soroka has strong performance vs Marlins

Aug 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Michael Soroka (34) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Soroka, coming back from shoulder/arm inflammation, was still on a bit of a limited leash. As such, manager Torey Lovullo only allowed him to throw 80 pitches. He landed 53 of them for strikes.

But despite that pre-planned short hook (Soroka's target pitch count was 75-80, according to Lovullo), the box score results were that of an extremely effective night for the right-hander.

Soroka managed to work his way through five innings, allowing only two base hits, one walk and one earned run. The lone run came as a result of an unfortunate solo home run from Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine in the top of the fourth.

He struck out six batters, despite facing a Miami club that tends to limit its swing-and-miss. His ERA is down to 3.45 on the year.

Although Soroka's command did not appear to be at its sharpest in the first inning, his sinker velocity was well up, sitting close to 96 MPH — he came into Tuesday averaging just over 93 MPH on that offering on the season.

That velocity did come down a bit as the outing progressed, but still sat about a tick up from season average at 94 MPH on the night.

But the most encouraging sign was Soroka's usage of his trademark breaking ball — the slurve. That pitch has been his most effective — and, often, his most leaned-on — offering this season. That was the case once again.

Soroka threw his slurve the most of his entire arsenal, using it on 25 of his 80 pitches (31%). He landed it for called strikes twice, but also managed to pick up six whiffs on 15 swings.

Soroka left with a 1-1 tie, but it was certainly a quality outing in a game that bordered on must-win territory for Arizona. The Diamondbacks need more of that from their entire staff.

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