For the Cubs, a relatively quiet MLB trade deadline day had the chance to show some positives on Monday night when the guy the team brought in to solidify the rotation–Mike Soroka, formerly of the Nationals–made his debut at Wrigley Field against the up-and-coming Reds.
Soroka struck out three, and allowed a run on a homer in two innings. But before the third inning, Soroka felt discomfort in his shoulder. Just like that, after 31 pitches, Soroka’s first start was finished, with the Cubs going on to lose the game, 3-2. Who knows where Soroka’s Cubs career will go from here?
Cubs Put Mike Soroka on the Injured List
Manager Craig Counsell, after the game, did not know. Soroka looked good in his two innings, but apparently, one pitch did not go so well.
“He said he let a pitch go in the second inning and it just didn’t feel good,” Counsell said. “Came in the dugout and said the shoulder was not feeling good. It’s an IL (stint) and we’ll see what the next steps are.”
Soroka added, “Went to go put a little extra on a fastball and it grabbed me a little bit. And it didn’t go away.”
It’s an especially frustrating result because it turns the light back onto the Cubs’ failure to get a quality, innings-eating starter at the trade deadline, a failure which could cost them in the stretch run and into a potential playoff appearance.
Chicago’s rotation has been hammered by injuries to two of the team’s top projected starters, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon, with Javier Assad also down because of injury. Taillon and Assad are hoping to be back in the coming weeks.
Cubs Should Have Had Injury Concerns
But beyond them, the Cubs needed a pitcher who could give them good innings in the stretch. Soroka was supposed to be the guy, but given his injury history–he has had shoulder issues in the past and has needed three surgeries on his Achilles tendon, missing all of 2021 and 2022–he was always going to be a risk.
Moreover, he had shown signs of arm trouble as the season went on in 2025. He was 0-3 with a 5.23 ERA in five July starts.
Now, Soroka has landed on the injured list, and while that will keep him out at least until late August, it could well be a longer stint than that. The Cubs gave up two prospects for Soroka, and the reality is, they might have given them up for just two innings of work.
Mike Soroka Had an MRI Last Week
Soroka told reporters (via The Athletic) that he had an MRI with Washington before his start on July 29 against Houston.
“That’s kind of what we did for my peace of mind before my outing against the Astros,” Soroka said. “We looked at some avenues mechanically, some other things as to where the velocity went. We decided to check that other box off and there was nothing that presented to be an issue at the time there.
“I didn’t have any discomfort, I didn’t have any pain. There was no reason to believe there was anything wrong. We cleared that. Unfortunately, that changed a little bit in the second inning today.”
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