The Braves didn’t say anything about Soroka’s simulated game either before or after — manager Brian Snitker said only that Ian Anderson threw three simulated innings Sunday morning — but an MLB team official at the ballpark said Soroka looked “very good,” especially for someone who has not pitched in seven months and is coming back from Achilles surgery that usually requires at least nine to 12 months for return to competition.
His velocity was perhaps a “couple of ticks” below his usual, the official said, but that’s to be expected for a pitcher at this stage of his rehabilitation from that injury. Soroka had a couple of ground balls hit near him and reacted well to one, and not so much to the other, the official said.