Braves Officially Place LHP Max Fried on Injured List, Recall Bryce Elder

The Atlanta Braves have officially placed left-handed starting pitcher Max Fried on the injured list with a hamstring strain that was suffered on Opening Day. The Braves have recalled Bryce Elder to Atlanta.

The Atlanta Braves have officially placed Opening Day starter and left-handed ace Max Fried on the injured list with a hamstring strain and recalled RHP Bryce Elder.

The #Braves today recalled RHP Bryce Elder to Atlanta and placed LHP Max Fried on the 15-day injured list, backdated to April 1, with a strained left hamstring.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 4, 2023

The Fried injury is retroactive to April 1. He injured his left hamstring covering first base on Opening Day against the Nationals.

It's a big blow for the Braves, who won 101 games last year and have World Series aspirations this year. 

Fried went 14-7 a season ago with a 2.48 ERA, making 30 starts and earning an all-star appearance. For his career, he's 54-25 with a 3.09 ERA and helped the Braves win the World Series in 2021, when he also went 14-7.

Fried's injury is a blow to the top of the Braves rotation that also includes young ace Spencer Strider. 

In steps Elder, who is 23 years old. He made his major league debut last season for the Braves, going 2-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 54 innings. He has thrown six innings thus far this season at AAA Gwinnett. He gave up five hits and four earned runs.

The decision to bring up Elder seems to signal more trouble for young Braves pitcher Ian Anderson. Once thought of as a potential rotation cornerstone, Anderson started high leverage playoff games in both 2020 and 2021, but he pitched to an ERA of 5.00 last year and was sent to AAA. This year, he's made one AAA start and didn't make it out of the first inning, allowing six runs (four earned) in 0.2 innings.

The Braves continue a series with the Cardinals tonight at 7:45 p.m. ET.