To this point, the Braves have been able to right the ship without two of their best pitchers–Max Fried and Kyle Wright–for most of the season, but the rotation has begun to show its flaws since the calendar turned to June.
Atlanta is going to need both Fried and Wright if they want to win their second World Series in the last three seasons, and both are making positive progress toward a return.
According to David O’Brien of The Athletic, Kyle Wright has been cleared to start throwing. Not off a mound, but he hadn’t even been able to pick up a ball until this point. And that’s not all. Max Fried has been cleared to start throwing off a mound again.
It goes without saying how fantastic this news is. The Braves are taking things cautiously with both of them, but it seems feasible that Fried could return after the All-Star break in the middle of July, and it’s possible we see him make a rehab start well before then. Wright is a little further behind, and the Braves will be even more cautious with him, given this is a re-occurring issue with his shoulder. However, a return in August doesn’t seem too far-fetched, providing everything continues progressing positively.
It’s not being talked enough about how amazing what the Braves are doing right now. They own the best record in the National League and sit 4.5 games ahead of the Marlins for first place without two of their best starting pitchers. That’s not even mentioning all of the other key players that have spent time on the IL. It’s a testament to the depth of this team, which is second to none. If Fried and Wright can come back and look anything like themselves, it’s going to be tough for anyone to beat the Braves come October.
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Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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