Sonny Gray Will Miss Opening Day.

With Major League Baseball scheduled to kick off a new season on April 1, we’re approaching the cruelest part of the year, when unchecked optimism intersects with cold hard reality.

Right-hander Mike Soroka will start the season on the injured list as he continues to recover from the torn Achilles he suffered last August. The Braves are hopeful that Soroka could rejoin the rotation by mid-to-late April.

The Reds will be without right-hander Sonny Gray to begin the season, as he deals with back spasms. Gray estimated that he’ll be about a week behind schedule, suggesting he could miss just a start before rejoining the rotation.