The New York Yankees made a surprise move on Tuesday night. The team announced that for the first time since mid-May, Max Fried will return to the MLB mound. Fried was sidelined with a left elbow bone bruise.
Fried’s Accelerated Rehab
The Yankees signed Fried in the 2024 offseason, imagining a rotation that would go into the postseason with Fried and Gerrit Cole being the first pitchers teams face in a series. Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pirates will be the first time that Cole and Fried will pitch in the rotation together as Yankees, with Cole returning this season from Tommy John surgery. Couple that with the AL’s best starter in Cam Schlittler, and the Yankees are set up for postseason success and one of MLB’s best rotations.
Gerrit Cole. Game 1.
Max Fried. Game 2.
See you at The Stadium tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/mwtdCaWhkK— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 21, 2026
Fried left his start against the Orioles after just three innings due to the discomfort. Fried has only made one rehab start and was scheduled for another one tomorrow, but the team decided to call him right up to the majors. Fried will be on a pitch count of 60 tomorrow, which means the game will turn into a bullpen game in short order, which could be an advantage to the Yankees given how well that unit has performed for a month plus.
Yankees’ Rotation Outlook
This is a smart decision by the New York given how Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have struggled in the rotation. Weathers gave up five earned runs against the Pirates in 4.2 innings of work Monday, and Warren keeps getting pushed back due to the weather. If it were not Fried for tomorrow, it would have either been a bullpen game, which is not too bad, but the ‘pen has been taxed, or recalled Elmer Rodriguez, and he’s been very inconsistent at the MLB level.
The Yankees’ rotation will not begin to resemble what the Yankees intended at the beginning of the season with Schlittler, Cole, Fried, Weathers, and Warren. Carlos Rodon is still on the mend from left elbow inflammation earlier this month. Rodon is already beginning to rehab from the injury but might be a ways off.
Main Image Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
