Sep 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) reacts during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Yankees Ace Battled Illness in Dominant Performance

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Max Fried showed up to Daikin Park ready to face one of his toughest challenges . A series with the Houston Astros will always be a big deal, and with this series having playoff implications as far as the division and postseason seeding are concerned, Fried did what aces are supposed to do. He pitched seven sparkling innings and let up one run, with five strikeouts and three walks. What was revealed after the game was that the ace was under the weather, having his own Jordan flu game of sorts.

While it wasn't quite the flu, Gary Phillips of Newsday posted just before midnight that Fried revealed he had been nauseous. What is most impressive about that is not just pitching as great as he did on the road, coming through when the Yankees needed him most, but he pitched better when under the weather than he did the last time he faced the Astros at home. In his previous outing against this team at home, Jose Altuve crushed him for a home run. He went five innings and let up four runs.

Max Fried said he felt a bit nauseous tonight.

He allowed 1 ER over 7 innings. #Yankees
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) September 3, 2025

This was a different Fried the Astros got this time around in their own ballpark, surrounded by Yankee fans who took over Daikin. Manager Aaron Boone commented on how well Fried pitched despite feeling nauseous.

"I thought he mixed really well today. I thought his breaking ball was good. He had a presence with his changeup and sweeper, sinker, four-seam, cutter. He was very unpredictable. Stuff was good, and just managed the game really well."

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

If Fried's illness slowed him down, he didn't let it show. There were only a few instances in the outing where he looked out of sorts, but he worked himself out of trouble. He walked the very first batter on four pitches, he sailed a pitch that was nowhere near the plate a few innings later, and then, with a runner on first and second with no outs, a Fried diving catch, followed up by doubling up the runner at first with a perfect throw, was all the drama he would encounter.

This wasn't the first instance Fried felt ill during a game. The last time it happened was in 2022, during a now-infamous divisional showdown with the New York Mets, which saw the Braves complete a remarkable comeback in the NL East. During an early October night, Fried took himself out of the game against the Mets after going five innings and letting up one run.

At one point, Fried told manager Brian Snitker that he couldn't go anymore. Before retaking the mound in the sixth inning, he grabbed a garbage can and was seen exiting the dugout and heading for the locker room. Until then, Fried had been cruising, giving that same ace effort in a big game the way he did in Houston on the road. The Braves ended up winning that game, securing the first win of the pivotal series.

Dansby Swanson said he wasn't even shocked that Fried pitched well that game.

"It's Max, I'm not in awe anymore. The guy has got this competitive [gear], but you would never know it. He's the nicest guy in the world, but when he steps out there, man, it's like, he wants to dominate. You can just tell, he gets this look in his eye and it's like, 'You go do your thing.'"

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