Baseball
Baseball
Yankees Activate Ace Max Fried for Doubleheader Return
The New York Yankees are set to welcome back All-Star pitcher Max Fried to their rotation for Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pirates, a return expedited by Tuesday’s rainout. Fried will take the mound for Game 2, following former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, who is slated to start the opener. This marks Fried’s first major league appearance in over two months, having been sidelined since May 13 with a bone bruise in his left elbow.
Fried’s activation comes sooner than anticipated, as manager Aaron Boone had initially indicated he would make one more minor league rehab start. However, the Yankees adjusted their plans, moving up his timeline to address the reshuffled schedule. The southpaw made a single rehab outing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last Friday, where he pitched three innings, allowing two runs on five hits while throwing 52 pitches.
Before his injury, Fried was a key contributor in the Yankees’ rotation, holding a 4-3 record with a 3.21 ERA across ten starts and 61 ⅔ innings. He also recorded 50 strikeouts against 19 walks, with opponents batting just .199 against him. Last season, his first with the Yankees, Fried posted an impressive 19-5 record with a 2.86 ERA over 32 starts, finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young voting.
His return is a significant boost for New York. Wednesday will also be the first time both Fried and Cole are active on the Yankees’ roster simultaneously, with Cole having returned from Tommy John surgery on May 22, shortly after Fried’s injury.
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