The New York Yankees got good news on Max Fried Friday, but it comes with a real asterisk. The left-hander’s latest MRI revealed enough healing in his left elbow for him to start throwing again — but he’s not close to a return, and the team knows it.
According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post Sports, the three-time All-Star has been cleared to throw a light bullpen session Saturday. That sounds like progress, and it is. But the words ‘still a ways away’ are the key part.
Fried has been on the 15-day IL since mid-May with a bone bruise in his left elbow, suffered during a 7-0 loss to the Orioles on May 13. He left that game early and was officially sidelined two days later. Now, after weeks of rest and imaging, there’s finally a green light to pick up a ball again — but cautiously.
The timeline is still murky
The Yankees have not given a specific return date, and they’re unlikely to rush this. Fried is too important to risk. Through 61.2 innings this season, he owns a 3.21 ERA and a stellar 1.005 WHIP with 50 strikeouts. That’s frontline production, exactly what a team with postseason aspirations needs.
But rushing a pitcher back from a bone bruise — especially one with Fried’s track record and value — would be a mistake the front office almost certainly won’t make. The team has been competitive without him, leaning on a rotation that includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, Cam Schlittler, and Ryan Weathers. Weathers started Friday’s game against Toronto.
Still, there’s no replacing a pitcher of Fried’s caliber. The Yankees look like a real contender in October, and having their left-handed ace healthy for the stretch run matters far more than getting him back by next week.
What this means for New York
For now, the plan is simple: let Fried build up slowly, monitor the elbow, and see how he responds to bullpen work. The light session Saturday will be telling — not just about his arm strength, but about pain and durability. If everything goes well, the next steps could come quickly. If not, the Yankees will pump the brakes.
The good news is that the MRI showed healing. That’s a real positive. But in the world of pitching injuries, ‘healing’ and ‘ready to pitch’ are two very different things. The Yankees know that. They’ve lived it before.
Bottom line: Max Fried is making progress, but the team isn’t going to rush him back. The smart bet is on a careful ramp-up, with an eye on the second half of the season. That’s the play for a team that wants to make noise in October.
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