The New York Yankees are in a rough stretch right now. They dropped eight of their last nine games heading into Sunday against the Minnesota Twins. Yeah, they finally snapped a seven-game losing streak, but then Saturday happened. That ugly loss to Minnesota put them right back in the loss column.
Injuries have been the main story. Aaron Judge is still sidelined with a ribcage issue. And starting pitcher Max Fried hasn’t thrown in a real game since mid-May because of an elbow problem. That’s nearly two months without him on the mound.
On Sunday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave an update on where Fried stands. According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Boone said the plan calls for another live batting practice session for Fried before they even start mapping out a rehab assignment. That’s the next checkpoint.
Fried already did one live bullpen session as part of his recovery. So the team is taking it slow, which makes sense for a guy with an elbow issue. It’s also likely he’ll need a few starts in the minor leagues before he rejoins the Yankees rotation. There’s no rush here, or at least there shouldn’t be.
Before the injury, Fried was having a solid season for New York. The Yankees have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball overall, but they’ve obviously missed him. He hasn’t pitched since a May 13 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. That’s a long time to be without a frontline starter.
Judge remains a question mark
The Yankees are also hoping for good news on Judge soon. They need him back if they want to climb out of this slump. His ribcage injury has kept him out of the lineup, and there’s no firm timeline yet for his return.
Up next for New York is a tough road series against the Tampa Bay Rays. That’s not exactly the kind of opponent you want to face when you’re struggling. The Yankees will need both Fried and Judge back sooner rather than later if they want to keep pace in the division.
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