Their rotation now features Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Bryce Elder. He is still slated to be among the top starting pitchers available, with other options including Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery, Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty, among others.īut the injury puts the Braves’ rotation in a precarious position. The fact that the injury does not pertain to his elbow means that it will have little effect on Fried’s free agency in the offseason. How will the Atlanta Braves replace Max Fried? The bad news for Fried and the Braves is that this is expected to be an extended absence. The good news is that the injury does not pertain to his elbow, according to sources. But in his two most recent starts, his fastball velocity dropped to 93.5 mph, and he allowed seven runs (five earned) against the Baltimore Orioles on May 5.Īlarm bells started to go off once Braves manager Brian Snitker said that Fried was “going through some things.” Now, Fried has been placed on the 15-day IL with a strained left forearm. He returned after a multi-week absence and his fastball sat at an average 94.8 mph. Here’s how the team will replace him, and why they should look to the trade market.Ītlanta Braves ace Max Fried started the 2023 season having allowed only one run through his first 20 innings and appeared headed for a mega-deal in free agency.īut an early trip to the Injured List due to a hamstring strain slowed Fried down. I’m ready for the challenge.Losing Max Fried is a major blow for the Atlanta Braves. They’ve been here before, and they’re not going to let up, so you know you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game. “It’s going to be really energetic,” he said of the environment in Minute Maid Park. His next two starts produced unexpectedly lesser performances, but now Fried has one more start to make this year, the biggest one of all. In his first two starts this postseason, the results were good: He pitched six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against Milwaukee in Game 2 of an NL Division Series and held the Dodgers to two runs in six innings, albeit on eight hits, in Game 1 of the NLCS. His career postseason record is 1-3 with a 4.53 ERA. He appeared in eight games out of the bullpen in the 20 playoffs and has started eight games in the 20 postseasons. He’s matured.”įried will carry 16 games of postseason experience into the start. He’s right where he needs to be in his career. I think he’s really looking forward to this opportunity. I can just tell during the games, talking to him the last couple nights on the bench. “I think Max is relishing in (the responsibility),” Snitker said. Already the staff co-ace, his role atop the rotation became even more crucial when the Braves lost Charlie Morton to a broken leg early in the first game of the World Series. Snitker said he can tell that Fried is excited about the responsibility he shoulders. That wildly improbable duo had a combined total of five prior major-league starts (all by Davidson).Īlthough the bullpen should benefit from Monday’s day off and also from three high-leverage relievers not being used in Sunday’s loss, it certainly would benefit the Braves to get six or so effective innings from Fried. In Games 4 and 5, starters Dylan Lee and Tucker Davidson lasted only a combined 2-1/3 innings: Lee 1/3 of an inning on Saturday and Davidson two innings on Sunday. The Braves have gotten only 14-2/3 innings from their starting pitchers in the first five games of the series, an average of just under three innings per start. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in Max and (am) looking forward to watching him go.” “I always feel good when Max pitches, and we’re in a good spot right now with Ian on tap,” Snitker said. Ian Anderson, who pitched five hitless innings in Game 3, is scheduled to start Game 7 for the Braves if necessary. A win in Game 6 would mean a championship, while a loss would mean Game 7 on Wednesday. The Braves, who lead the best-of-seven World Series three games to two, certainly need the Fried of the second half of the regular season. I mean, this guy, probably since the All-Star break, was one of the best pitchers in the game, so that’s kind of the version of Max that I expect to see.” “I expect to see Max on top of his game (Tuesday night). “I think he’s been off a little bit the last couple of times, hasn’t been himself,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said Monday. In his start before that, Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, Fried allowed five runs and eight hits, including two home runs, in 4-2/3 innings In World Series Game 2, Fried allowed six runs and seven hits in five-plus innings, with most of the Astros’ damage being done in the second inning when they scored four runs on five well-placed, mostly-soft-contact singles. I’m going to be myself and just try to pitch my game and help us win this ballgame.” “I’m going to go out there and do what I do.
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