Max Fried is officially making his return to the mound for the New York Yankees tonight, way earlier than anyone expected, and it’s a huge shift in their rotation plans. The Yankees dropped the news on Tuesday that their ace will be starting Game 2 of Wednesday’s scheduled doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yeah, you heard that right: tonight!
The Plan Went Out the Window
This return is a total curveball for the entire organization. Just earlier on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone was talking about Fried throwing around 60 pitches in what was supposed to be his *second* rehab start. The original timeline had Fried rejoining the rotation sometime during New York’s four-game series against the Chicago White Sox next week. But nope, that whole plan is gone, replaced by an immediate call-up after just one rehab outing. This all went down pretty quickly after Tuesday’s game against the Pirates got rained out, forcing this doubleheader. Gerrit Cole is still slated for Game 1, but Fried’s unexpected early return is what everyone’s buzzing about.
A Three-Time All-Star Back in Action
Fried has been sidelined since May 15 with a bone bruise in his pitching elbow, a seriously tough injury to bounce back from. Getting a three-time All-Star like him back on the bump so fast is a massive boost for the Yankees. He was absolutely dealing in his second season with the team before the injury, following up an All-Star debut with another solid run. In 10 starts, Fried posted a 3.21 ERA and a nasty 1.005 WHIP, racking up 50 strikeouts against only 19 walks in 61 2/3 innings. Those are the numbers of a top-tier arm, and getting that kind of production back in the rotation is huge for the club.
Tonight’s doubleheader against the Pirates just got a whole lot more interesting with Max Fried taking the mound for Game 2. Everyone will be watching to see how sharp he looks and what this early return means for the rest of his season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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