Cubs' Michael Soroka: Return pending

Soraka (shoulder) will be returned from his minor-league rehab assignment, and his next appearance will be for the Cubs, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports Friday.

Soroka threw 2.1 innings with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, tossing 38 pitches. He's expected to rejoin the big-league roster in the coming days, though it's unclear when exactly the move will come. Considering he's not stretched out to handle a starter's workload and the Cubs have five healthy starters on the active roster, Soroka seems slated for a multi-inning role out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old has started in all 17 of his big-league appearances this season -- 16 with Washington, one with Chicago.