TORONTO — The Braves have a definite need for starting pitching. But they also need to do what is best for Michael Soroka’s future.
So, when Atlanta didn’t recall Soroka and instead constructed two bullpen games within the past five days, it seemed to stick with its plan. Everybody wants to see Soroka beat the odds by returning to the Majors for the first time since tearing his right Achilles tendon for the first time on Aug. 3, 2020. But the pitcher’s long-term interests shouldn’t be negatively impacted by the fact the Braves are going to spend at least the next two months without both Max Fried and Kyle Wright.
“[Soroka] is still working through things, he hasn’t pitched in a long time,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We’re going to need him before the year is over. We just want him to settle in and get consistent starts.”
So, while Soroka would be on regular rest if the Braves opted to bring him up to start against the Rangers on Tuesday, Snitker didn’t create a lot of confidence about the 25-year-old possibly joining Atlanta’s fractured rotation any time soon.
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Soroka has posted a 5.47 ERA while totaling 24 2/3 innings over six starts for Triple-A Gwinnett. He threw 91 pitches over six scoreless innings against Omaha on April 18.
Looking to limit his early-season innings total, the Braves skipped his next turn. When the left-hander returned to the mound on April 30, he allowed 10 hits and eight runs (seven earned) over three innings against Buffalo. Soroka hasn’t thrown more than four innings or totaled more than 77 pitches in any of his past three starts, but there haven’t been any issues with his right Achilles tendon, which he tore for a second time on June 24, 2021.
“He’s had his struggles, which everybody figured he would after such a long layoff,” Snitker said. “The stuff is good. It’s just the consistency, which is what you get by making starts.”
Triple-A Gwinnett The Braves recently signed former heralded prospect Justus Sheffield to a Minor League deal. Sheffield’s career hasn’t gone as expected, as he has posted a 5.47 ERA while combining for 48 appearances with the Yankees and the Mariners.
The 27-year-old left-hander had a 14.04 ERA in 10 appearances for Triple-A Tacoma before the Mariners released him near the end of April. Even if he never gets back to the Majors, though, Sheffield can help by eating innings at the Triple-A level.
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Double-A Mississippi AJ Smith-Shawver, the Braves’ No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has continued to impress since making the leap to the Double-A level. The 20-year-old right-hander recorded seven strikeouts while tossing five scoreless innings in his first home start for Mississippi on Saturday night. He hasn’t allowed a run in 21 combined innings between High-A Rome and Mississippi this year.
Not bad for a young guy who started regularly pitching in 2020, during the summer before his senior year of high school.
High-A Rome Catcher Adam Zebrowski, who was taken in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of NCAA Division III St. John Fisher University, had a .500 average with 20 homers and a ridiculous 1.587 OPS over 38 games during his final collegiate season. He has batted .307 with five homers and a 1.035 OPS through his first 21 games for High-A Rome this year.
Single-A Augusta Last year’s two first-round selections are distancing themselves from the high school experiences they were gathering at this time last year.
JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 3 prospect, has posted a 5.40 ERA through four starts, but he has 25 strikeouts and just three walks over 13 1/3 innings.
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No. 2 prospect Owen Murphy has produced a 3.12 ERA while recording 24 strikeouts and issuing seven walks over 17 1/3 innings.
There’s an absolute nightmare scenario brewing on the horizon for the Atlanta Braves. If New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto signs in the National League East, either with the New York Mets or Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves will need to match that signing with a blockbuster move of their own.
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FanSided’s Christopher Kline pointed this doomsday scenario out this week, noting three moves the Braves could make to combat this potential nightmare signing. At the top of Kline’s list, he wrote, “Alex Bregman is the Braves infield solution nobody is talking about.”
That’s right. Kline is recommending the Braves sign the projected $119 million Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman while they already have an All-Star at the hot corner.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 21: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves turns a double play at second base against Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros in the third inning at Truist Park on… ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 21: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves turns a double play at second base against Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros in the third inning at Truist Park on April 21, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Alex Slitz/Getty Images
“The best front offices in the MLB are creative. On the surface, Alex Bregman isn’t a fit for Atlanta. He’s a battle-tested third baseman and the Braves already have an All-Star at the hot corner in Austin Riley,” Kline wrote. “That said, what if Bregman takes over second base and Albies moves to shortstop, a position he frequented before his ascent with Atlanta’s big-league squad?”
This idea is intriguing. There are likely better options out there for Atlanta if it wanted to pursue something like this though. Signing Willy Adames would be a better move. Signing Gleyber Torres would be a much more cost-effective one, though not as impactful.
But, if the Braves can lure Bregman away from Houston, they would have the ability to play either Albies or Bregman at shortstop. It’s not the worst idea. It’s a very interesting thought to put into your brain as free agency continues.
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With the Eastern Conference playoff bracket thrown into a blender after Round One, fourth-seed Orlando City now have a dream path to the MLS Cup final.
They must first get through Atlanta United in the second conference semifinal on Sunday, with the seven seed having stunned the regular season champions Inter Miami two weeks ago.
Lionel Messi’s Herons were not the only top team in the East to be sent packing early, as the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati were also forced to exit early, leaving Orlando as the highest remaining seed left in the field.
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It’s now or never for Oscar Pareja, but a matchup against Atlanta, who will be flying high and full of confidence after springing an all-time upset, presents its own problems.
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United live stream, TV channel
All MLS Cup playoff matches are available to watch exclusively on MLS Season Pass from Apple TV.
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With the home stretch in view, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV is being offered at its lowest price of the season. Fans can sign up for a seasonal subscription to MLS Season Pass for just $9.99 to catch the remainder of the 2024 season, including the MLS Cup playoffs. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up for a seasonal subscription to MLS Season Pass for free for the remainder of the 2024 season and playoffs.
What time is Orlando City vs. Atlanta United kickoff?
This Eastern Conference semifinal match kicks off from Inter&Co Stadium on Sunday, November 24 at 3:30 p.m. local time in Orlando, FL.
Here’s how that time translates across the time zones in North America:
Date
Kickoff time
Eastern Time
Sun, Nov. 24
3:30 p.m.
Central Time
Sun, Nov. 24
2:30 p.m.
Mountain Time
Sun, Nov. 24
1:30 p.m.
Pacific Time
Sun, Nov. 24
12:30 p.m.
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United lineups & team news
The international break was good to Orlando City, who are now nearly at full strength for the stretch run of the postseason.
Backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar is the only player still nursing a fitness issue, as he is done for the year after a broken leg back in June. Playmaker Facundo Torres is in great form, having scored twice in Round One, including Orlando’s 100th-minute equalizer in game three which saved their season.
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Orlando City projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Gallese (GK) — Thorhallsson, Schlegel, Jansson, Santos — C. Araujo, Cartagena — F. Torres, Ojeda, Angulo — Enrique.
Atlanta United picked up a few fresh injury concerns in the last few weeks, including a few not yet shaken.
Defender Brooks Lennon dislocated his shoulder in the playoff opener and is out for the remainder of the postseason run, while Edwin Mosquera had knee surgery earlier this month and is unlikely to return unless Atlanta United reach the final.
Atlanta United projected starting lineup (4-4-2): Guzan (GK) — Hernandez, R. Williams, Abram — Lobzhanidze, Slisz, McCarty, Muyumba, Amador — Thiare, Miranchuk.
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United prediction, betting odds & lines
Score prediction: Orlando City 2-2 Atlanta United
Atlanta United proved a thorn in the side of Inter Miami all season long, but they still have to prove they are more than just a matchup problem for one top MLS side. Thankfully for them, they may also be a matchup issue for their next opponent, having beaten Orlando both meetings this season — the third match of the year and the final match of the regular season.
Orlando are in good form, but needed a penalty shootout win over Charlotte to advance to this position. There should be chances for both sides to take hold of this game, and that should result in an entertaining affair, even if it ultimately cancels out.
It is a gloomy morning in Atlanta, but for Brad Guzan, it feels like a warm, sunny day. The veteran Atlanta United goalkeeper could have been planning his offseason, gone fishin’ for a few weeks while he waited for news of what the team will look like in 2025. Instead, he’s in his normal routine. He’s working. He’s preparing for a match. And he’s happy.
“It feels that much better when you’re training with a real purpose, hopefully for MLS Cup,” Guzan said to ESPN.
His stops on Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and the rest of Inter Miami’s superstar squad earned him the right to keep working. Atlanta won the second two matches of a three-game series in Round One of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Even in the first game, the 40-year-old Guzan looked like a goalkeeper in top form. He made eight saves in the defeat, then one in the home victory and nine in the critical clincher, a 3-2 win at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale that vanquished one of the best MLS teams of all time and sent Atlanta into the next round.
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Guzan and Atlanta United now are preparing for the Eastern Conference semifinal against Orlando City, three steps away from lifting MLS Cup.
“We’re probably not as shocked as people on the outside that we’re in this position,” Guzan said.
Not as shocked, but maybe still a bit surprised. After all, Inter Miami didn’t just have a lot of stars. The team put together the best-ever MLS regular season, earning 74 points to set a record for most points in a campaign.
And Atlanta United didn’t just have a rocky season. They fired manager Gonzalo Pineda after winning just four of their first 16 matches. They fired technical director Carlos Bocanegra after the summer transfer window. Even before Bocanegra’s departure, the team had started to strip the roster for parts, preparing for a winter overhaul with a new general manager and a new coach giving their input about the right players to bring to the club.
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Standout attacking midfielder Thiago Almada left for Botafogo for what the club said was a league-record fee. Consistent forward Giorgos Giakoumakis joined Liga MX side Cruz Azul. Atlanta also let go of homegrown product Caleb Wiley, who moved to Chelsea.
The Five Stripes received $42 million in combined transfer fees for the trio. The soccer-valuation site Transfermarkt assesses what’s left of Atlanta United’s squad at little more than $36 million.
The team wasn’t left entirely to fend for itself. Russian forward Aleksei Miranchuk arrived from Serie A and was an important part of Atlanta’s three playoff wins so far. They also added left back Pedro Amador, who has impressed and registered four assists in the playoffs.
Incoming players must beat out the existing players, though, something Guzan knows well. After an inconsistent 2023, the team signed Josh Cohen, a goalkeeper with UEFA Champions League experience after several seasons starting at Maccabi Haifa. Yet, Guzan kept the No. 1 job despite competition from the younger player.
“I’ve always said I don’t need an external motivator for me to go into work and train and ultimately go into games,” Guzan said. “I’m my biggest critic. I fully expect a club of Atlanta United’s level to bring in players to challenge at all positions — not just goalkeeper — and I’m not naive to think I’m going to play forever. But I do think I’m able to offer something to the group that is beneficial.
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“Obviously, last year wasn’t ideal from an individual standpoint, so it was a moment I wanted to try and rectify.”
Guzan should be able to consider it forgiven by Atlanta’s passionate fan base, one that has come to expect success since the team won MLS Cup in 2018, its second season in existence.
Since then, expectant fans have largely been disappointed. Atlanta returned to the Eastern Conference final in 2019 but hadn’t won a playoff series until their upset of Miami this month.
This year didn’t look like it would be the year that changed that, but the team started gathering momentum late in the year under interim manager Rob Valentino. They lost just once in their last six and secured victories over the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City in the last two weeks of the season to reach the postseason. Once there, they fought CF Montreal to a 2-2 draw with Guzan making a save in the penalty shootout to set up the first-round showdown with Inter Miami.
A May win in Fort Lauderdale, plus a September draw with the Herons in Atlanta helped boost belief that the Five Stripes could hang with the top seed.
“They had a great season, they set the point record and obviously have big-name players, but we went into it with confidence,” Guzan said.
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Some of that confidence came from Guzan. A goalkeeper who has been in big moments for the U.S. national team and with Aston Villa in the Premier League, it was evident early on in the series that Guzan wasn’t going to go quietly in the series. From the saves he made to the viral moment in which he ended up stuck in the net after a shove while Miami tried to chase the match, Guzan set the tone for the rest of the Atlanta team.
“I think he has an intense focus, almost a look in his eyes that ‘this is go time,’” Valentino told ESPN. “When the team can see something like that, I think it’s infectious.
“He makes a save, and he’s got some aura about him almost. It bleeds through the team. His voice alone is something the team feeds off of, and he’s been huge in this run of games.”
As the lowest seed left in the playoffs, Atlanta United now go on the road again to face Orlando City. The team will need to look to Guzan’s example — plus get performances from field players like the ones they got against Miami — if the journey will continue. Yet, there once again is internal belief that they can secure an upset.
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“Ultimately, what I’ve been telling the group is that it doesn’t matter what anybody said on the outside — good or bad,” Valentino said. “It wasn’t me fostering [confidence], it was us fostering it together and having internal belief in ourselves and what we can do on the field. The way we operate on a day-to-day basis? People can’t see that.”
While very few people expected Atlanta to get to that point, and even some on the inside had to be doubting their chances, the team feels they now have a clear goal — one that they are three wins away from securing.
“It has to be MLS Cup,” Guzan said. “It’s about trophies. It’s about winning, especially at this point in the season.”
It’s a goal that would keep him working well into December, keep the cold winter feeling plenty pleasant and would continue to shock just about everyone, maybe even Atlanta United themselves.
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