On Sunday, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka experienced a difficult outing at Salt River Fields during a game against the Cleveland Guardians. Struggling to find consistency, Soroka managed only 1.2 innings, allowing three earned runs from four hits, including a solo home run, and issuing three walks. He threw 47 pitches but only 22 were strikes, highlighting control issues throughout his time on the mound.
Reflecting on the performance, Soroka admitted,
“Thought I pressed from the start, thought I was trying to be perfect,”
as reported by Jose Romero of AZCentral.
Following his appearance, Soroka worked in the bullpen to regain his rhythm and refine his pitches after the tough performance.
Challenges Follow Promising Spring Start for Soroka
This day marked Soroka’s second start in Cactus League games after a smoother first outing. The right-hander expressed a strong desire to move past the recent setback and return to the form he showed earlier in the spring. He acknowledged the urge to do too much, which disrupted his usual approach.
“These are things that I’ve done really well all spring and again I feel like I’m just trying to do too much,”
Soroka said.
“So a lot of the best pitches I made today were just, found a small target and let it go. I’m just going to be forgetting a lot of them and building on the good ones. So that’s what spring training is for,”
he added.
In the bullpen, Soroka focused on changeups and feels reassured by his ability to relax his delivery.
“I threw a bunch of changeups [down in the bullpen] and everything went good. It’s just kind of reinforcing the ability for me to let it go and feel like I had all offseason and all spring. So again it’s just gonna be a matter of letting it go,”
he explained.
Soroka Prepares for World Baseball Classic After Arizona Appearance
Although his Sunday start was among the least effective so far for a Diamondbacks pitcher in spring training, it will be his final outing with Arizona before heading to the World Baseball Classic to join Team Canada. Despite the disappointing game, Soroka remains optimistic about the upcoming international competition.
He stated,
“I think you turn the page and you go compete and it’s gonna be a different atmosphere [in the WBC], which probably a good thing, and I get to kind of just go win some ballgames.”
Expressing enthusiasm for this next step, Soroka concluded,
“So I’m excited for this opportunity… I think we’re gonna move forward and I think it’s gonna be good.”
Implications for Soroka and the Diamondbacks Moving Forward
Soroka’s rough outing is a reminder of the ups and downs pitchers face during spring training, a crucial period for testing and adjustment before the regular season. His candid response reveals a focus on refining mechanics and mental approach to regain his form. With about a month before the regular season, there is time for Soroka to improve his execution and rebuild confidence.
His experience at the World Baseball Classic should provide a fresh environment and competitive intensity, potentially aiding his development. The Arizona Diamondbacks will watch closely as he returns from international duty to see how the lessons from spring training and Team Canada’s tournament influence his performance going forward.
