New York Yankees lefty Max Fried has landed on the 15-day injured list with a bone bruise in his left elbow, the team announced Friday. Fried exited Wednesday's start against the Baltimore Orioles after three innings.
Fried's exact return timeline is not yet clear, but the Yankees said it will be a "few weeks" before he gets follow-up imaging that will determine when he can resume throwing.
Manager's Assessment
"Felt like early on he was having a hard time getting loose and getting to that point. It was taking him several pitches in the inning to get to his (release) point," manager Aaron Boone said after the game.
"He was feeling a little something in between starts, not all that abnormal to what he deals with throughout the season. In talking with him, (I'm) not that concerned."
Recent Performance
Fried labored through three innings Wednesday, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. In his last three starts, Fried has allowed 11 runs on 17 hits and seven walks in only 14 innings.
His control has been an issue much of the season, so much so that Fried abandoned his windup four starts ago and began pitching exclusively from the stretch.
Fried's Perspective
"I'm not too worried about a super long-term thing. If I can, I would love to be able to make my next start, but we'll see," Fried said via the New York Daily News.
He added his elbow feels "hyper-extended or banged."
Rotation Outlook
The Yankees welcomed Carlos Rodón back from the injured list this past weekend and are expected to get Gerrit Cole back after two or three more rehab starts.
New York's rotation depth chart currently looks like this:
- RHP Gerrit Cole (rehabbing from Tommy John surgery)
- LHP Max Fried (on IL with bone bruise)
- RHP Luis Gil (on Triple-A injured list with shoulder inflammation)
The Yankees won't speed up Cole's return should Fried miss time. Luis Rodríguez, one of the team's top prospects, made two spot starts earlier this season and would likely get the call to bridge the gap between Fried and Cole's return, if one is needed.
Entering play Wednesday, New York's rotation ranked second with a 3.06 ERA and first with 5.6 WAR.