Nationals' Michael Soroka cruises through 5 vs. Guardians, then falls apart in return from IL

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Soroka came off the injured list and, for five innings, resembled the phenom who was an All-Star at age 21.

Then it all fell apart in the sixth.

Making his second start for the Washington Nationals and first since he strained his right biceps on March 31, Soroka cruised through five frames against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, striking out eight as the Nationals built a 3-0 lead.

His third time through the Guardians' batting order wasn't so smooth. Soroka loaded the bases in the sixth with nobody out and then fell behind to Carlos Santana, who lined a 2-1 slider to right field for a bases-clearing double. Santana came in to score against reliever Jorge Lopez, leaving Soroka with a line of four runs allowed in five innings. Cleveland ultimately scored eight runs in the sixth and won 8-6.

“The only pitch I really, really want back is that one to Santana,” Soroka said. “I just threw it about 6 inches too high and he’s a good hitter. He made me pay.”

Soroka was reinstated from the 15-day IL before the game. He gave up an identical four runs in five innings during his Washington debut, a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Before the ugly end to Wednesday's outing, Soroka dominated the Guardians with a sharp slider and 96 mph fastball — the swing-and-miss stuff that led the Nationals to sign him to a $9 million, one-year deal in the offseason.

“As a whole, we got it in the zone early, let them know that I was throwing all pitches for strikes,” Soroka said. “That’s ultimately where I’m at my best.”

An All-Star with Atlanta during his first full season in 2019, the 27-year-old Soroka has been limited by injuries since. He tore his right Achilles tendon on a routine fielding play in 2020, then injured the same tendon while walking into Atlanta’s ballpark the following year. He missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

“We’ve got to keep him healthy, right?” manager Dave Martinez said. “But I think he’s going to give us a lot of innings, keep us in games just like he did today.”

Soroka hasn't won in the majors since 2023. Last year for the Chicago White Sox, he went 0-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 25 appearances, including nine starts.

Washington optioned right-hander Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A Rochester to make room for Soroka. Salazar is 0-1 with a 9.77 ERA in 17 appearances this season.

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka walks back to the dugout after he was pulled during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka throws during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)