Soroka (shoulder) played catch Thursday but is not in contention for an Opening Day roster spot, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Soroka is making progress in his recovery from a shoulder setback, but the Braves are handling the highly rated 21-year-old very cautiously. It's a sensible approach, as shoulder issues cut his debut season short in June. He could possibly be ready by the start of the season if necessary, but the team can afford to take the long view given its depth of starting options. Assuming Soroka's slow recovery proceeds without setbacks, he'll still have a good chance to be a factor in the rotation for a large part of the upcoming season.