Michael Soroka exits early — but stays healthy — as Nats fall to Astros

Washington Post

16 hours ago

HOUSTON — In the grand scheme of things, what mattered more than the outcome of the Washington Nationals' game Tuesday night — a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park — was that Michael Soroka left it healthy.
That's exactly what transpired. In the fourth inning, Soroka allowed a game-tying solo homer to Yainer Diaz. At that point, much to Soroka's surprise, interim manager Miguel Cairo came to take the ball from him. The 27-year-old right-hander had thrown just 74 pitches over 3⅓ innings — both season lows. But the reason for his short leash was obvious.
Soroka and closer Kyle Finnegan, who are both on expiring contracts, are the players on the Nationals' roster who are most likely to be dealt ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Others could be moved, too, such as veteran hitters Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe or outfielders Alex Call and Jacob Young. Any reliever on a one-year deal could be moved for the right price, too. And then there's ace left-hander MacKenzie Gore. But Soroka and Finnegan would net notable returns, given their track records and contenders' needs for reliable arms this time of year.
In the first inning, Soroka hit his MLB-leading 14th batter — Christian Walker — with two outs. Cam Smith hit a double down the right field line to give Houston an early lead. Luis García Jr. hit a changeup at his shins in the third inning for a two-run homer that put Washington (44-63) ahead. Then Diaz tied the score.
After Soroka exited, the Astros (61-47) teed off on Andry Lara to snap a five-game skid. Cooper Hummel hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to give Houston a 3-2 lead. One inning later, Jose Altuve had one of his own before Walker added a two-run single to blow the game open.
The Nationals signed Soroka to a one-year, $9 million deal this offseason for a shot at redemption. Last year with the Chicago White Sox, he found success as a reliever by altering his pitch mix and delivery. The Nationals gave him a chance to start again and apply what he learned.
Soroka's time in Washington started off rocky: He suffered right bicep cramps during his first start in Toronto. He missed more than a month before he returned to the rotation. His results as a starter have been mixed. He has a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts but also has allowed 1.13 walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) — his best figure since his 2019 all-star season with Atlanta. His breaking ball has been effective all season, but his fastball velocity has dropped in recent outings.
On the surface, Soroka doesn't have the numbers that teams would covet. But his expected stats (including a .217 expected opponent batting average and a 3.25 expected ERA) suggest that he would benefit from having a better defense behind him. If he's moved, Soroka is likely to be a back-of-the-rotation arm who could be a long reliever in the playoffs. If he's moved, Washington would benefit from turning a bounce-back candidate into a young, controllable player who could contribute down the line.
The Nationals' young bats performed well in the later innings. James Wood, mired in a post-all-star-break slump, had an RBI single in the seventh but struck out three times. Daylen Lile added an RBI double in the eighth. And CJ Abrams went 3 for 4 with three stolen bases.
Note: Dylan Crews played four innings in right field Tuesday for Class AAA Rochester, his first rehab appearance since he suffered an oblique strain May 20. Crews grounded out in his first at-bat and was hit by a pitch in his second trip to the plate but remained in the game and came around to score.