The Atlanta Braves got some very good news earlier this week when it was reported that Max Fried would be starting his rehabilitation assignment in Gwinnett. The left-handed ace played well for the Triple-A affiliate on Sunday afternoon in his first action since sustaining a forearm injury on May 5th. He only finished with 35 pitches but he looked like his usual self for his five outs on the mound (with one coming on his signature pickoff at first base).
This will be one of several outings that Fried will make for the Stripers as he builds back up to his normal pitch count. Following the appearance, Grant McAuley discussed the ace's performance and why the Braves have no reason to rush him back to the bigs.
"This is basically spring training folks," McAuley said in his reaction to the limited pitch count for Max Fried. "He's gonna have to build it back up from the very low level of when you go out for that first spring training start where you throw a couple of innings and about 30 to 35 pitches."
Despite the limited pitch count, Grant was still happy with what he saw from him this afternoon.
"He felt good," McAuley said. "An inning and a third of scoreless ball, one hit, two walks, and a strikeout. He picked a runner off. Just doing Max Fried things!"
Next time out, the expectation should be that he could push into the sixties or seventies as he continues to work his way back. Barring any setbacks, the likelihood is that we'll see him in Gwinnett for about three more starts and putting him in line to make his return to Atlanta by the end of July or the early parts of August.
There is absolutely no need for the Braves to rush this process. They currently hold onto the best record in baseball (60-29) and their ace has started a mere five games. When Fried eventually does return, it will effectively serve the same purpose as a major trade and they will add a Cy Young quality arm to an already strong rotation. The 29-year-old was 14-7 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 170 strikeouts in 185 1/3 innings last season as he finished second in the Cy Young voting and made his first All-Star team.
The rich will only get richer.