Atlanta Braves Ace Max Fried Nearing Return From Extended Stay on Injured List
The Atlanta Braves will be getting starting pitcher Max Fried back in their rotation as soon as this weekend, general manager Alex Anthopoulos told The Athletic's Jim Bowden on Sunday.
Fried just made his fourth and final rehab start on Saturday as he works his way back from a left forearm strain that has kept him out for nearly three months. He posted a 3.75 ERA, 1.500 WHIP and 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings between Triple-A Gwinnett and High-A Rome.
According to Anthopoulos, Fried could rejoin the roster for the Braves' upcoming series against the Chicago Cubs. The three-game road set gets underway Friday.
Before he went down, Fried was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.077 WHIP through five starts.
Fried first went to the 15-day injured list on May 9 – retroactive to May 6 – and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 5.
The Braves have managed to post a 67-36 record this season largely without Fried, putting them on-pace for a league-best 105 wins. Atlanta is 10.5 games ahead of the Miami Marlins for first place in the NL East, and their plus-151 run differential is the highest in baseball.
In Fried's absence, 24-year-old right-hander Spencer Strider has emerged as the top man in the Braves' rotation. Strider earned a spot in the All-Star game, and he currently leads MLB with 11 wins and 199 strikeouts. 24-year old Bryce Elder was also named an All-Star, leading the active rotation with a 3.18 ERA, while veteran Charlie Morton also boasts a sub-4.00 ERA.
Fried returning adds some much-needed stability to the rotation, though, considering Atlanta has utilized 15 different starting pitchers this season. Kyle Wright and Kolby Allard are on the 60-day injured list themselves, while Dylan Dodd is on the 7-day injured list.
Since becoming a full-time MLB starter in 2019, Fried is 54-21 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.133 WHIP. Fried finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting in 2020, then second in 2022, and he has won three consecutive Gold Gloves.
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