Injuries have brutalized the Braves. As of now, two of their top starters and four of their top relievers are on the IL. That would spell disaster if the playoffs started tomorrow, but they don’t, and several of these arms are progressing positively toward a return.
Max Fried made his second rehab assignment over the weekend, tossing three scoreless innings for the High-A Rome Braves. It only took him 30 pitches to complete, so he’s still at least a couple of weeks from returning. Fried makes his third rehab start tomorrow for Gwinnett, and the expectation is for him to throw around 50-60 pitches. As long as there are no setbacks, the runner-up in last year’s NL Cy Young race could be back with the Braves by early August.
But the real news today surrounds Kyle Wright. Braves beat reporter Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports he is scheduled to throw off a mound on Friday and begin bullpen sessions next week, putting him on schedule for a potential return in early September.
Kyle Wright will play catch off the mound on Friday and then throw some shortened bullpens early next week. If all goes well, he could begin throwing normal bullpens by the end of next week. ETA now seems to be early September.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 19, 2023
I’m still hesitant that Wright will have much of an impact this season, unlike Fried, who I believe will be critical to the Braves’ success. Whatever Wright gives the team will be icing on the cake; Alex Anthopoulos can’t go into the trade deadline thinking he will be a contributor in the postseason.
For starters, everything will have to go right for Wright to return by early September. Then, he will have to prove he can be trusted in October. On top of that, this is a shoulder injury that Wright re-injured after just five starts this season. There’s no question he has the potential to be a massive addition late in the season to the Braves rotation, but the team’s primary focus is on getting him through this healthy and making sure he can be an impact player in 2024.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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