The story of the day and the coming weeks will likely surround Max Fried, who was placed on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain. That’s never what you want to hear about your star pitcher, as forearm strains can often be the result of UCL injuries, which can require Tommy John surgery.
The good news is that doesn’t appear to be the case with Fried. Multiple reports have suggested there is no structural damage to the UCL, but the Braves are still going to take things extremely cautiously. Fried will be shut down until he’s 100%, and then he will ramp up his workload in the minors. Having him back before the All-Star break would be a blessing, but the primary goal is ensuring he’s ready for the stretch run and into the postseason.
It’s not ideal, especially considering Kyle Wright is also dealing with arm problems and could be out for a substantial amount of time, but it’s better than the alternative. Before the game today, Fried met with the media, and his response to questions about the injury eased my concerns a bit.
“We’re not trying to put any timelines on anything,” Max Fried said. “The priority is to get back, get healthy and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
For several reasons, this is the last thing I wanted to wake up to this morning. Max Fried had a real shot at winning his first NL Cy Young. He’s been outstanding in his five starts this season, and obviously, it will be impossible to replace him at the top of the rotation. However, all signs point to him returning at some point this season, which is what’s most important at the end of the day.
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