The Chicago Cubs have placed right-handed starter Michael Soroka on the 15-day injured list due to a shoulder strain. The team plans to shut him down for 7-10 days, with the best-case scenario being a possible return in early September to make a few starts. This outcome falls short of what the Cubs had hoped for from their sole trade deadline addition aimed at strengthening the starting rotation.
However, this is exactly the kind of setback the Cubs should have anticipated. They should have been more proactive in pursuing other pitching options, especially given the clear warning signs surrounding Soroka. His declining velocity was widely known, and even Cubs executive Hoyer acknowledged it but admitted the team was still willing to take a gamble on him.
So far, that gamble has not paid off for Hoyer or the Cubs. Soroka only managed two innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, and it’s baffling that the front office believed a pitcher who hasn’t completed a full season since 2019 and has battled arm and shoulder issues over the past two years could carry the team through the stretch run.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported more on Tuesday.
From ESPN:
“We knew the velocity was trending down,” said Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, Tuesday afternoon. “We talked through that extensively. Given the market, given the asking price … we felt like it was a good bet to make. Right now, it’s not looking like a good bet.”
Hoyer acknowledged the risk. “That risk profile was known. We spent a lot of time on that… We did a lot of due diligence, a ton of research, and if it doesn’t work out, it’s on me.”
Sure, Jed, no one’s denying that it’s on you — but what does that really mean? He already secured a multi-year extension before the trade deadline. Nobody honestly thinks ownership is going to fire him if this team continues to fall apart.
So yeah, the blame lands on Hoyer… but what happens now? The Cubs are stuck with him. I’ve defended many of his moves in the past, but this trade deadline is shaping up as his defining failure: a complete disaster. Awful front office decisions. A flawed process.
To put it in perspective, here’s Michael Soroka’s injury history:
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2018: 5 starts, 25.2 IP; two trips to IL for shoulder inflammation
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2019: 29 starts, 174.2 IP; season delayed due to trapezius strain
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2020: 3 starts, 13.2 IP; torn Achilles
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2021-22: 0 starts; Achilles setbacks, including a second torn Achilles
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2023: 24 games (Minors and Majors); IL stint with right forearm inflammation
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2024: 25 games, 79.2 IP; IL stint for right shoulder strain
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2025: Spent April on IL with right biceps strain
That’s the pitcher the Cubs traded for — their only addition to the starting rotation. Bravo.
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