Atlanta Braves Lefty Gets Return Date Likely Pushed Back
![Atlanta Braves Lefty Gets Return Date Likely Pushed Back Atlanta Braves Lefty Gets Return Date Likely Pushed Back](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTk5NjgzODgxMzYyNzk0MTEy/usatsi_16565047_168388303_lowres.jpg)
Left-handed pitcher Max Fried likely won't be making his return to the Atlanta Braves starting rotation as quickly as originally hoped.
Fried, who has been rehabbing from a forearm injury that sent him to the injured list, has been sick lately and is likely a few days behind schedule.
The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:
Atlanta has not yet revealed when Fried (forearm/illness) will make his next rehab start, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
It won't be Friday, though, as Michael Soroka will be taking the ball for Triple-A Gwinnett. Fried had been scheduled to make his final rehab start for Gwinnett on Wednesday but was scratched from that outing because he was under the weather. Presumably, the illness will push back the left-hander's return to the Atlanta rotation at least a few days, although a return date for Fried has not yet been identified.
When Fried does come back, he will be a big boost to a team that is one of the World Series favorites this year. He's already been on the injured list twice this year (forearm/hamstring) so keeping him healthy will be paramount, but he'll pair with Spencer Strider to make an extremely talented front end of a playoff rotation. If Kyle Wright can come back, he'll join a rotation with those two and Charlie Morton, which could be devastating in the playoffs.
When he has pitched, Fried has been excellent. The 29-year-old is 2-1 through five starts with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.
For his career, he's 56-26 with a 3.05 ERA. He helped the Braves win the World Series in 2021 when he won 14 games. He has double-digit win totals in each of the last three full seasons, and added a perfect 7-0 record during the shortened 2020 season.
The Braves are 64-36 and play the Brewers on Friday night at 8:10 p.m. ET.
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