Max Fried, the Yankees’ All-Star lefty, is officially back on the mound for Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pirates. No joke, this dude is making his first appearance in over two months after being on the injured list since May 16, all thanks to a bone bruise in his left elbow. This is a wild turn because just hours before, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was telling MLB.com that Fried was gonna take *another* minor-league rehab start before rejoining the big club. Guess those plans went out the window, huh?
The Fast-Track Return That Nobody Saw Coming
This isn’t your typical slow-and-steady comeback story, not by a long shot. Fried only got one rehab start in, where he gave up two runs on five hits over three innings, throwing just 52 pitches. It’s clear he’s not fully stretched out yet, which means we might even see Will Warren, who was originally slated to start Tuesday, piggyback Fried in this outing. Talk about rushing things. But hey, when you’ve got a guy like Fried, who finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting last season with a 19-5 record and a 2.86 ERA in 32 starts, you gotta be itching to get him back out there. Even in his limited 10 starts this season before the injury, he still put up a 4-3 record with a solid 3.21 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, punching out 50 batters in 61 ⅔ innings. That’s serious talent the Yankees have been missing.
The Pitching Powerhouse They’ve Waited For
What’s even crazier is that Wednesday will be the very first day Max Fried and former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole are both on the Yankees’ active roster together. Let that sink in for a second. Fried signed as a free agent before the 2025 season, but Cole missed that entire year recovering from Tommy John surgery. Cole only returned to the rotation on May 22 this season, just a week after Fried went down with his injury. So, this is the first time New York gets to trot out both their aces on the same day, with Cole starting Game 1. Plus, they already have All-Star Cam Schlittler as another frontline starter, and word is former All-Star lefty Carlos Rodón is coming back from the IL in the next few weeks. With Warren and Ryan Weathers adding depth, this rotation could be absolutely nasty down the stretch. The Yankees are sitting at 56-44, only 1.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East standings heading into this doubleheader. Getting Fried back now, even on short notice, feels like a huge shot of adrenaline right when they need it.
So, all eyes are on Yankee Stadium Wednesday. Game 1 features Gerrit Cole on the bump, but Game 2? That’s when we see if Max Fried can shake off the rust and the surprise quick return to deliver for New York. This isn’t just another game, it’s the first real look at what this Yankees rotation *could* be, finally. Will it be a dominant return or a rocky one? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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