One of the Braves' top rookie pitchers lands on the 60-day disabled list

The Atlanta Braves transferred rookie pitcher Mike Soroka to the 60-day disabled list Wednesday. Soroka was placed on the DL due to inflammation in the rotator cuff of his right throwing shoulder.

This is Soroka’s second stint on the disabled list this season, the first coming in May due to inflammation in his right shoulder. Soroka was initially put on the 15-day DL following his last start on June 19.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O’Brien explained Soroka’s move to the disabled list did not indicate a change in his shoulder, which had already hampered him in the 2018 season.

The Braves added reliever Wes Parsons to their 40-man roster, and with Soroka only one week into a four-week period of not throwing, the 20-year-old would not have been ready to pitch “for at least two months from June 20, the retroactive date for his placement on the DL.”

“It’s not a surprise for us, it’s just a formality,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told O’Brien. “The thought is just no throw for about four weeks. From that point forward he’ll start playing catch, get stretched out, get some bullpens, start to build up to be a starter. I mentioned to him five or six innings and he mentioned seven or eight innings that he wanted to build up to. That just takes time, so it’s just like spring training all over again.

“So when you look at, from the placement of the DL with the backdate, being able to rest and recover for about a month, then build up, 60 days is pretty standard. It fits. It doesn’t change anything.”

Soroka has a 2-1 record with 21 strikeouts and a 3.51 ERA in five starts for the Braves this season. In his last start, Soroka pitched 4 2/3 innings with eight hits allowed and four earned runs.