Bucs on The Mend: Jose Soriano Working His Way Back From Tommy John Surgery

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a busy off-season where they were acquiring young talent to help them build back up what was a depleted farm system. One of those acquisitions is working his way back to the Big Leagues as Jose Soriano works through a rehab assignment at Low-A Bradenton.

It was a busy off-season for General Manager Ben Cherington and the Pittsburgh Pirates as they set out on a full rebuild of the team. This started by acquiring young players to add to the farm system who, while not making an immediate impact, would be able to come up in the future and help turn this Pirates team into a winner. One aspect of that busy off-season was the Rule 5 Draft, where teams get their choice of Minor Leaguers who have been in their team's system for years and have run out of places to go. The Rule 5 Draft pick that we have seen already for the Pirates is right-hander Luis Oviedo, who has looked good for jumping to the Big Leagues from Low-A Ball. However, he was not the Pirate's first choice in that Rule 5 Draft. That distinction went to right-handed pitcher Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels organization.

Soriano came to the Pirates after spending the last five years in the Angels organization and positing a career 2.73 ERA over 62 games, 58 starts. However, he had only made it as high as Low-A ball with the Angels and, at 22-years-old, there was no spot for him on the 40-man roster. So, he went unprotected and it was the Pirates who ended up taking him with the first overall pick. The caveat with Soriano was that he was on the mend from Tommy John surgery performed in November of 2019. It was going to be a long recovery process, but once he got back from the Injured List, the Pirates would have to keep him on their active roster all season or send him back to the Angels. He began his rehab assignment with the Low-A Bradenton Marauders last week, and we look at how it is going as he makes his way up to the Pirates in 2021.

Rehab Process Begins

When a player is coming back from Tommy John surgery, you have to essentially handle them with kid gloves. One small setback could send him back under the knife, or worse yet end a guy's career. It will still probably be a couple of months before we see Soriano in Pittsburgh, but he began the rehab process on May 20th in Bradenton. He got the start at LECOM Park against the Lakewood Flying Tigers, in his first professional game since the 2019 season. He looked strong on the mound, going three scoreless innings while allowing a hit and striking out five batters. His fastball routinely hit in the upper 90s throughout the night, and he showed good control of all of his pitches, placing them throughout the strike zone.

One of the most positive signs in Soriano's first rehab start is that his velocity is still very much there. Some pitchers end up losing velocity after Tommy John Surgery, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Soriano. His fastball routinely touched the upper 90s throughout the night, and it allowed him to mix in his curveball effectively. The change of speeds is a big thing for Soriano, and he was working between the 93 and 97 mph mark throughout the night, while his curveball comes in at the mid-80s as a nice counter-balance. He is still working on mixing in a change-up to add a third reliable pitch, but that is still in the very early stages of development and, if it works out, could put him over the top.

The next biggest thing you liked to see from Soriano in that first outing was the fact that he didn't walk anyone. He wasn't very efficient, with 60 pitches in the three innings, and wasn't particularly around the plate a lot with a strike percentage of just 40%. However, he was able to work around the wildness and get guys into situations where they were making soft contact. However, that wildness would come back to haunt him in his second rehab start, as he gave up seven earned runs without getting out of the first inning. It will be a process for the young pitcher as he works his way back to the Big League level, but the good news is his velocity is right where it needs to be in the early stages of his rehab assignment.

Where He Fits Into The Bucs

While it will still probably be at least a month until we see, Jose Soriano in a Pirate uniform, he will be with the Big League club at some point due to his Rule 5 status. Soriano has mostly been a starting pitcher throughout his professional career, with over 55 starts under his belt already. Ideally, that is where the Pirates would like to keep him, but that isn't possible in the Big Leagues. He will more than likely serve a role similar to that of current Rule 5 Player Luis Oviedo. Soriano, like Oviedo, is another young pitcher with a very live arm that could play well in the Major Leagues. After missing last season due to the pandemic, and his surgery, the 22-year-old is looking to make up valuable time, and this is a chance to show what he had got. 

No matter what level of professional baseball you are at, having a fastball that can hit in the upper 90s is a big-time weapon. Hitters are forced to be ready for the pitch because if they aren't they are going to be severely behind the eight-ball. Right now, Soriano is mostly a two-pitch pitcher, working off his fastball and his curveball. Both have a grade of 55 or higher and are already effective pitches that have proven to get batters out. The thing that is going to put Soriano over the top is the development of a third-breaking pitch to counteract the fastball. He is currently in the midst of developing a change-up, and if he is able to get it to professional quality, it could be another strong pitch for him moving forward.

When Soriano does get here around July, look for him to be in the long-man role that Luis Oviedo currently holds. For Oviedo, this may mean a heightened role for the 21-year-old as he would go to middle relief and higher leverage situations. I feel that Soriano will be used more like your traditional Rule 5 guy, blowouts and large lead games before he is sent back down to the Minor Leagues next year. If the Pirates decide to keep Soriano, look for him to head down to Triple-A or Double-A next season to continue his development and get him back on his regular course to the Major Leagues. Young, live arms, are a big thing the Pirates are looking for right now, and they are hoping that they find a gem with Soriano.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (18-31) welcome in the Colorado Rockies (19-30) for the first time since the 2019 season for the start of a three-game series. Mitch Keller (2-6, 7.41) gets the ball for the Pirates in an effort to turn in a quality start against Jon Gray (4-4, 3.43) for the Rockies. You can watch the game on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.