Soroka's Hip Troubles D-backs
Diamondbacks Pitcher Michael Soroka Exits Game with Hip Discomfort, Extending Team's Injury Woes
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Key Points
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The Diamondbacks said on X that “Michael Soroka exited tonight’s game due to posterior left hip discomfort,” confirming the issue name even though they had not provided severity details.
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Soroka’s early outing included a scoreless first inning on just nine pitches—allowing two hits—before his discomfort flared after he came out for the second; AP also noted he was 4–3 in his last seven decisions after a 4–0 start.
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Arizona’s pitching drain added a specific timeline and diagnosis for Ryne Nelson: he was placed on the injured list for “eight to twelve weeks” with “a flexor tendon strain and right elbow sprain.”
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Soroka’s past injury history raises concern about duration: one report said he has had no fewer than nine injured-list stints in his MLB career, including a serious Achilles injury that kept him out all of 2021 and 2022.
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Beyond ERA, Soroka’s season performance had been strong on underlying metrics: he entered the start with a 2.93 FIP and allowed only six home runs across 81 innings, making his abrupt exit a larger blow than another early hook.
Michael Soroka left Friday's start against the Minnesota Twins after just one inning, clutching his left hip during warmup tosses for the second. The Arizona Diamondbacks confirmed on X that he exited due to "posterior left hip discomfort," though the team would not say how serious it is pending an MRI, AP reported.
The exit stings badly. Soroka had been Arizona's best healthy starter — 3.11 ERA, a 2.93 FIP, and just six home runs allowed across 81 innings. It also came hours after the club placed Ryne Nelson on the injured list with a flexor tendon strain and elbow sprain, a loss expected to cost eight to twelve weeks, AZ Snake Pit reported.
One Inning, Nine Pitches, Then Silence
Soroka threw just nine pitches in the first inning. He allowed two hits but kept the Twins off the board. Then, walking out for the second, he felt something wrong. He waved for a trainer, tried one warm-up pitch — and that was it. Reliever Taylor Clarke came on immediately to replace him, Brandon Sun reported.
Manager Torey Lovullo did not hide his frustration. "To lose your leader in wins hours after losing Ryne [Nelson] is a gut punch," he said after the game. The team is waiting on imaging before giving any timeline, but the post-game mood was grim.
Arizona's Rotation Is Falling Apart Fast
The Diamondbacks had already been shorthanded before Friday. Ace Corbin Burnes is still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and is only in the long-toss phase. Reliever A.J. Puk is on the shelf with a shoulder capsule sprain. Now Soroka and Nelson are both out, AZ Snake Pit reported.
Nelson's diagnosis is precise and painful: a flexor tendon strain and right elbow sprain with a recovery window of eight to twelve weeks. That puts him out well past the All-Star break. Arizona has now effectively lost what analysts say is 60% of its projected starting rotation within a 12-hour window, Yahoo Sports reported.
Soroka's Injury History Makes This Scarier
Soroka's body has been through a lot. He missed all of 2021 and 2022 with a catastrophic Achilles injury. He has had no fewer than nine separate injured-list stints in his MLB career, according to research from The Athletic and Baseball Prospectus cited in team coverage.
Medical experts note that "posterior hip discomfort" in a pitcher with Achilles history is rarely minor. Physical therapists suggest the hip may be overcompensating for weakness left over from lower-leg surgeries — a pattern called kinetic chain failure. That's why the Diamondbacks' medical staff is being cautious before releasing any severity details, The Star reported.
Arizona Now Faces a Trade Deadline Scramble
The front office must act fast. The bullpen burned extra innings Friday covering Soroka's spot. That kind of overuse often leads to more injuries. The team will likely call up arms from Triple-A Reno in the short term, but that may not be enough to stay in the NL West race.
Arizona GM Mike Hazen now faces a tough market. Rival teams know the Diamondbacks are desperate for starting pitching. That gives sellers more leverage to demand top prospects in return. The team went into 2026 expecting Soroka's 3.11 ERA to anchor the rotation. Right now, that anchor is gone, Yahoo Sports reported.
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