It will be a homecoming of sorts when the Atlanta Braves visit the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night for the opener of a two-game set.
Alex Anthopoulos, the Blue Jays’ general manager for six years, returns to Toronto for the second time as Braves GM.
Third baseman Josh Donaldson, the 2015 American League MVP with the Blue Jays, returns for the first time with the Braves.
The Braves’ starting pitcher on Tuesday, Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.41 ERA), is from Calgary.
Atlanta, up by 5 1/2 games in the National League East, has won 11 of its past 14 games despite losing 3-1 Monday to the Colorado Rockies on a two-run, walk-off homer by Ryan McMahon in the ninth inning.
The defeat, on a one-game visit to Denver to make up a game postponed in April, stopped the Braves’ season-high-tying, eight-game winning streak.
The Blue Jays, fourth in the AL East, return from a 1-5 West Coast trip having lost seven of their past eight games. They had yet to announce a Tuesday starting pitcher as of Monday evening.
The continued hot hitting of rookie Bo Bichette has helped mask the Blue Jays’ struggles.
He had two more hits Sunday in the 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners, giving him a franchise-record 40 hits in his first 26 major league games.
Bichette, 21, has 15 multi-hit games through 26 contests, the first major leaguer to accomplish that since 1936, when Roy Weatherby had 16 and Joe DiMaggio had 15. His 22 extra-base hits in his first 26 games are tied for second with Mandy Brooks (1925), one behind DiMaggio.
“To hear those names is really cool, but at the same time it’s only (26) games,” Bichette said. “Hopefully when my career is over I’ll be in the same conversation as those guys. I’ve got so long to go, but I’m definitely really excited.”
The Braves got back a key player on Monday. Shortstop Dansby Swanson, who missed 30 games with a bruised right heel, returned and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. The Braves were 20-10 without him.
“That’s just kind of what this team is about,” Swanson said. “It’s about winning. No matter who’s in there or where they’re playing, they’re going to make an impact.”
To make room for him, outfielder Adam Duvall was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Soroka will be making his second career start against the Blue Jays. He made his fifth and final start of the 2018 season June 19 when he allowed eight hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings at Toronto. He did not factor in the decision as Atlanta won 11-4.
He was then shut down for the season due to shoulder inflammation, finishing with a 2-1 record and a 3.51 ERA.
“I can tell you last September, Soroka was dying to come back,” Anthopoulos said. “He was throwing in (the instructional league). He was ready to go. For his career, as much as we could’ve used him in the playoffs, it wasn’t the right thing for him.”
This season, the 22-year-old right-hander has made 23 starts and pitched 141 2/3 innings, striking out 112 and walking 33.
Donaldson, who hit two home runs in the Braves’ win over the New York Mets on Sunday, was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Monday. He is batting .262 with a .377 on-base percentage, a .534 slugging percentage, 32 homers and 76 RBIs.
A calf injury limited him to 52 games between Toronto and the Cleveland Indians last season. Anthopoulos, who obtained Donaldson for the Blue Jays in a one-sided deal with the Oakland Athletics in November 2014, signed Donaldson to a one-year, $23 million deal for 2019.
