Michael Soroka embraces 'new life' ahead of Cubs' debut vs. Reds

Michael Soroka is scheduled to make his Chicago Cubs debut when the right-hander takes the mound against the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the opener of the teams' three-game series on Monday night.

Soroka (3-8, 4.87 ERA) was acquired from the Washington Nationals on Wednesday for the No. 13 and 14 prospects in the Chicago farm system in shortstop Ronny Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin.

"It's new life," Soroka said. "Kind of like a new start to the season for me. You get some long days in July. You're looking forward to this [MLB] trade deadline and seeing what happens. Obviously, joining a team like this, it's a new breath of adrenaline and life. So looking to take that through the end of the season and, hopefully, help this team compete for a World Series."

Soroka spent his first four major league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, developing a friendship with current Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. Soroka missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons after twice rupturing his Achilles tendon but got to witness Atlanta's run to the World Series up close in 2021.

"Although it was exciting to be along with the team and a lot of guys that I played with those previous couple years, it's still something that's burning me to this day that I really didn't do a ton that year," he said. "I didn't throw a pitch, so looking to rewrite that and have new memories this time."

Soroka will go from pitching in front of one of the poorest defenses in the majors to one of the best.

"It's exciting," he said. "A goal this year was coming in and being relentless inside the strike zone. It helps a ton when the defense is as good as it is. I obviously got to watch Dansby for a long time with the Braves, and this is a team, from the outside looking in, you see that as well."

Soroka is 1-2 in three career starts against the Reds with a 3.94 ERA. He will face a Cincinnati team that spent the previous two days in Bristol, Tenn., trying to squeeze in the first MLB game played in Tennessee.

The weather finally was good enough for the Reds to face the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Cincinnati lost 4-2 in the rubber match of the three-game series after the first two games were played in Ohio.

Nick Lodolo (8-6, 3.09 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Reds in the series opener on Monday. He is coming off a solid July in which he went 3-1 in five starts with a 1.89 ERA.

The left-hander most recently received a no-decision after holding the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings last Tuesday, striking out a season-high 11 batters in his team's 5-4 loss. He handed over a 4-2 lead to the bullpen, but Los Angeles scored two runs in the seventh and one run in the ninth.

The start was the career-high 22nd of the season for Lodolo.

"It means a lot," he said of his starts. "That was my goal I set out for in the offseason. ... I don't want to just barely beat [his career high in starts], I want to blow past it. I feel good and in a position to do that."

Lodolo is 2-2 in seven career starts against the Cubs with a 4.46 ERA.

--Field Level Media