Max Fried and His Blister: A Challenge for the Yankees
In an ideal scenario, Max Fried would have taken the mound at Truist Park for his debut with the New York Yankees, facing his former team, the Atlanta Braves, this Friday. However, a blister on the index finger of his left hand could change those plans. The main unknown is how long Fried will need to fully recover before his next start. If history is any guide, the pitcher, who has been placed on the injured list for blister issues in four different seasons, could miss at least one start.The blister forced Fried to abandon his Saturday opening against the Chicago Cubs after only three innings. The left-handed pitcher, selected for the All-Star for the third time, had already decided not to pitch in Tuesday’s exhibition game to optimize his rest, with Carlos Rodón as his replacement. Fried, 31, has had a standout first season with the Yankees, after signing an eight-year, $218 million contract in December. With an 11-3 record and a 2.43 ERA in 122 innings across 20 starts, he has established himself as the ace of the rotation in the absence of Gerrit Cole. The possible absence of Fried represents a blow to the Yankees’ rotation, which recently lost Clarke Schmidt for the entire season due to Tommy John surgery, and Gerrit Cole, who underwent the same surgery in March. In addition, the team is still awaiting the debut of Luis Gil, who suffered an injury in spring training, and has been without Ryan Yarbrough since June 22.Honestly, I still don’t know.
Max Fried
The Yankees closed out the first half of the season with a 53-43 record, placing them at the top of the American League Wild Card standings and two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, leaders of the American League East Division.I don’t want to rush and have this become a problem. We are going to use the break to assess the situation and make the best possible decision.
Max Fried
