Braves send Mike Soroka to Triple-A after just two starts in return from Achilles injury

Soroka, who has an 8.38 ERA this season, recently made his first MLB start in almost three years

The Atlanta Braves on Monday announced a sequence of roster moves, and most notable among them is that right-hander Mike Soroka has been optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett. 

Soroka, 25, just recently returned to the major-league rotation for the first time in almost three years, which was the result of multiple surgeries on his Achilles tendon. After two starts for Atlanta this season, Soroka has an ERA of 8.38 with five strikeouts and six unintentional walks in 9 2/3 innings. 

Not so long ago, Soroka appeared to be on the cusp of stardom. In 37 career starts leading up his career-altering injuries, he compiled a 2.86 ERA (159 ERA+) and a 3.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Soroka even finished second in National League Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2019, as well as sixth in Cy Young Award balloting -- all the while making the All-Star Game. 

Given his long absence from the majors, early struggles aren't surprising, and the Braves are no doubt hoping that he can re-establish himself as a bedrock presence in the rotation. 

The Braves could turn the empty spot in their rotation over to rookie AJ Smith-Shawver. The right-hander threw 2 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings against the Diamondbacks in his MLB debut on Sunday. 

The Braves enter Monday's off day with a 35-24 record, a National League-best plus-63 run differential, and in first place in the NL East.