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Mike Soroka came out of the break looking every bit the All-Star, scattering seven hits and striking out a career-high nine over seven scoreless innings vs. the Padres.

Max Fried follows Monday in Milwaukee and is in need of a smooth outing with a 6.17 ERA with .339 batting average against after posting a .296 ERA and .240 average against in his first 10 starts.

Of course, the underlying storyline with the rookie Soroka and Fried, who is in his first full MLB season, is going to be innings for a team that has its sights set well beyond the Sept. 29 regular-season finale vs. the Mets.

Soroka, who was shut down last season after 56 1/3 innings across due to shoulder inflammation, is now up to 105 2/3 after 16 starts for the Braves and two more at Triple-A. Meanwhile, Fried, with a career-high 118 2/3 in 2013 and again in ’17 across Double-A, Triple-A, the majors and the Arizona Fall League, is currently at 98 2/3 heading into the series opener vs. the Brewers.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos has said the Braves are mindful of the fatigue factor and keeping both fresh for September and beyond, which could mean skipping starts or providing extra days rest between outings.

The issue, though, is Soroka has been one of the most consistent rotation options, along with former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. Granted, Julio Teheran‘s last three outings have included a 2.35 ERA, but he was showing cracks ahead of those starts and while Bryse Wilson was strong his last time out vs. the Phillies, that final rotation spot could be in flux.

With Mike Foltynewicz struggling in his latest start at Triple-A (four runs on nine hits over five innings on Saturday night) and Kevin Gausman still on the path back to Atlanta too, the fact remains that Braves currently need to lean on those same young arms they have to monitor.

That makes how they approach the July 31 trade deadline with a rotation that’s not at full strength a major point of interest for the defending NL East champs.

Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His books, ‘Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,’ and ‘The Heisman Trophy: The Story of an American Icon and Its Winners.’ are now available.

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