TORONTO \u2014 Cubs right-hander Michael Soroka<\/b> went through a weighted ball workout on Wednesday, he said, a precursor to the beginning of his throwing program. He\u2019s scheduled to start playing light catch on Thursday, 10 days after he left his Cubs debut with a strained right shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s feeling really good,\u201d Soroka said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing good things to make it progress. Just got to keep on that track, and we\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cubs aren\u2019t expected to rush Soroka\u2019s ramp up, even with less than seven weeks left in the season. But they also likely won\u2019t have to build him back up to a full starters\u2019 workload.<\/p>\n
Right-hander Javier Assad<\/b> (strained left oblique) returned from the 60-day IL to start Tuesday, and Jameson Taillon<\/b> (strained right calf) is penciled in for the Cubs\u2019 series against the Brewers next week.<\/p>\n
Soroka\u2019s experience both starting and relieving was part of what attracted the Cubs to him at the trade deadline. And he could still throw important innings out of the bullpen down the stretch and in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about pushing things when they feel good,\u201d Soroka said. \u201cWe talked about that with the staff, and how we\u2019re going to be able to handle this \u2014 and what\u2019s a safe way to do it while also ensuring that when we\u2019re back, I\u2019m the guy that they traded for.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everybody would rather we take a day or two extra and make sure that everything is in a good place, so that when we are back, they get to see that guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cubs\u2019 interest in seeing that guy predates the trade deadline. They were in contact with Soroka this offseason, before he signed with the Nationals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were not exactly complete strangers when I came in,\u201d Soroka said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s really fun to be able to see that and walk into an organization that\u2019s identified you as somebody that can have a lot of success to help the team. And hopefully we\u2019re well on our way to doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even before Soroka\u2019s injury, he was working through a drop in velocity. And he said pitching coach Tommy Hottovy<\/b> and special assistant Tyler Zombro<\/b> have presented him with some mechanical adjustments that could both address his velocity and protect his shoulder.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re essentially trying to replicate Soroka\u2019s delivery from his late-June start against the Dodgers, when his average fastball velocity peaked at 94.9 mph \u2014 not only his highest velocity game of the season, but of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd probably the best my stuff\u2019s been in my life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Taillon threw 5\u2153 innings in his final rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday. He gave up just two hits and built up to 84 pitches.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a good outing for him today,\u201d Counsell said. \u201c… He\u2019s ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taillon\u2019s return from the IL comes right when the Cubs need starting pitching depth the most. They have five games against the Brewers in four days next week, in a pivotal series for the division race.<\/p>\n
The Cubs reinstated Amaya on Tuesday before their series opener against the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n
Cubs president Jed Hoyer, no Luke Skywalker, scoped out the landscape and said, \u201cMaybe some other time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cubs reinstated Assad and Miguel Amaya from the 60-day IL on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Soroka was the only starting pitcher the Cubs acquired at the trade deadline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":77434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n