Braves Country received a scare this morning, as Max Fried was placed on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain, an injury that can oftentimes mean Tommy John surgery. Thankfully, it appears — at least for now — that catastrophe has been avoided. David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that an MRI revealed no structural damage to the UCL.
#Braves ace Fried on IL with forearm strain pic.twitter.com/nQBDasggLN
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 9, 2023
As O’Brien states, it will still be a lengthy absence for Fried, and it’s very possible he’s eventually placed on the 60-day IL. He will be completely shut down until things feel 100% again. At that time, he will have to ramp up his workload in the minors before returning to Atlanta.
It’s not the best news, especially for a pitcher that had legitimate NL Cy Young aspirations. Fried has looked like the best version of himself early on this season, but what really matters is that he is healthy for the stretch run and into October.
The Braves are off to one of their best starts in franchise history, which has allowed them to build a seven-game cushion in the NL East. The rest of their roster is plenty capable of handling the load until Fried is 100% healthy. However, it’s highly doubtful the Braves can reach their ultimate goal of winning the World Series without the ace of their staff.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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