Yankees activating Max Fried early for Pirates doubleheader
The New York Yankees are activating left-hander Max Fried from the 15-day injured list earlier than planned so he can start Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium, the club announced ahead of the twin bill. The Yankees score a major rotation boost with Fried back ahead of a demanding road trip. MLB.com reported he will take the ball after Gerrit Cole starts the opener.
Key Takeaways
- Fried will start Game 2 of Wednesday's Yankees-Pirates doubleheader in the Bronx after more than two months on the injured list.
- He has been out since May 14 with a bone bruise in his throwing elbow and no ligament damage.
- The club skipped a planned extra Triple-A rehab start so he can help cover a rotation crunch caused by a rainout.
- Manager Aaron Boone said Fried will not work with a full pitch count, making the outing more like a quasi-bullpen game.
- Before the injury, Fried posted a 3.21 ERA over his first 10 starts of the season.
Why are the Yankees activating Fried early?
New York originally expected Fried to make one more rehab outing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and rejoin the club for next week's series in Chicago against the White Sox. A rainout changed the math.
Boone said that using Will Warren and Cole in the doubleheader would leave the Yankees short a starter on the weekend. Bringing Fried up now lets the staff line up for the coming series in Philadelphia while he continues building stamina at the major league level. The lefty gave the plan his OK.
Teams can carry an extra pitcher in a doubleheader, and the Yankees are off Thursday, giving the bullpen room to cover innings after an abbreviated Fried start. For more clubhouse and roster buzz, follow Celebrity Breaking News on BlasterPost.
What limited Fried before this doubleheader?
Fried has been sidelined since May 14 with a bone bruise in his throwing elbow. There was no ligament damage, but he still needed a shutdown before beginning a rehab assignment last week.
In his first Triple-A rehab start Friday, he allowed two runs on five hits over three innings. He threw 52 pitches, including 32 strikes, with three strikeouts and no walks. That workload was the springboard for accelerating his Yankees return.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, New York had initially planned one more Triple-A start before pivoting to Wednesday's Game 2 assignment opposite Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler. Game 1 is set as Mitch Keller versus Cole.
How will Fried's Game 2 start look?
Boone made clear Fried will not be operating with a "full clip," so expect a short outing rather than a deep start. The priority is getting him back into big league competition while protecting his elbow as he rebuilds pitch count.
The 32-year-old had been steady before the injury, carrying a 4-3 record and a 3.21 ERA with opponents hitting just .199 against him. He pitched at least five innings in every start except the one that ended with the elbow issue. Last season, his first in pinstripes, he finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting.
What does Fried's return mean for the Yankees rotation?
Fried rejoins a group that includes Cole, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, and Will Warren. Carlos Rodón has been unavailable this month, and the Yankees are also navigating injuries to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
New York has gone 20-21 since Judge last played on May 31 and opens a difficult 10-game road trip Friday against the Phillies, White Sox, and Cubs. Getting Fried back early will not solve every lineup problem, but it restores a proven starter as the club tries to stabilize before that stretch.