Ankle issue forces Braves' Max Fried to leave game after one inning

Braves southpaw Max Fried left his start against the Marlins on Wednesday after one inning because of a tweaked left ankle, the team announced. Fried previously missed time with a left side muscle spasm in his lumbar spine.

With the Braves having clinched yet another NL East title and looking to win their first World Series since 1995, a significant Fried injury could be a catastrophe for a team whose rotation has had to overcome multiple problems during the season. The Braves are already set to enter the postseason without Mike Soroka (Achilles) and Cole Hamels (shoulder), who haven’t contributed nearly as much as was expected this year and won’t pitch again in 2020.

Fried has been a saving grace and one of the NL’s premier starters in a rotation devoid of two of its highest-profile arms. It took until Wednesday for Fried to allow a home run, when the Marlins teed off on him for two in an inning, although he has been brilliant for the most part. The 26-year-old owns a 2.25 ERA/3.09 FIP with 8.04 K/9, 3.05 BB/9 and a 53 percent ground-ball rate in 56 innings.