The Diamondbacks could get reinforcements in the rotation next week. Manager Torey Lovullo told the Burns & Gambo Show that it looks “very strongly” like Michael Soroka will get the ball on Monday against the Rockies. Soroka has been sidelined since late June with a glute strain.
Another hint at the upcoming move was when Arizona optioned left-hander Kohl Drake back to the minors on Friday. The rookie has been the club’s No. 5 starter for the past few turns through the rotation. Drake was swapped out after his start on Thursday for reliever Kade Strowd. That leaves a gap in the pitching staff that Soroka is poised to step into next week.
Soroka posted a solid 3.07 ERA through his first 15 starts with the Diamondbacks. He was probably pitching a bit over his head, but he had a respectable 3.60 xFIP and a 3.63 SIERA over 82 innings. Soroka was keeping the ball in the yard at an elite level while walking opponents at a career-low 5.1% clip.
Arizona added Soroka on a modest one-year, $7.5MM guarantee over the winter. The deal also included $2MM in incentives. The 29-year-old was coming off a 2025 with a 4.52 ERA in 22 appearances split between the Nationals and Cubs. The run prevention wasn’t great, but there were plenty of positives. Soroka maintained the strikeout gains he showed as mostly a reliever in 2024. He reached 89 2/3 innings, his most since 2019. The Diamondbacks’ investment was paying off handsomely through the first three months of the year. They’ll now get Soroka back in time for the stretch run.
Entering Saturday’s action, the Diamondbacks had a half-game lead for an NL Wild Card spot. The organization largely stood pat at the trade deadline, outside of adding outfielder Lars Nootbaar. The return of Soroka will help offset the absence of Zac Gallen, though Arizona is also missing Corbin Burnes and Ryne Nelson. The rotation was a spot of potential improvement at the deadline. General manager Mike Hazen and company opted not to chase the likes of Casey Mize and Foster Griffin, instead relying on Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brandon Pfaadt, who have each performed well for stretches this season.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images