Max Fried headed for imaging with elbow soreness in potential Yankees nightmare

UPDATE: Fried classified the issue as 'a little bit of a hyperextension, or banged up in the back of the elbow and triceps area,' and said he is 'not too concerned' after initial testing.

"Just a little uncomfortable tight, especially between innings. It was hard for me to loosen up to get into innings," Fried said after the Yankees' loss. "I wasn’t sharp and it was hard to keep bouncing back; I could have kept pitching, but at a certain point we had to say hey, let's try to calm this thing down and get ahead of it."

Fried also said he's not concerned about a long-term issue, as it's something he's felt a little bit at times this year, and is

"There’ve been numerous starts this year where I’ve had that feeling and it just goes away, or you’re able to deal with it for a couple pitches – this one I think was just one too many times and a little irritated," Fried said. "I guess you never know but I'm definitely playing on this thing being a sooner rather than later. We’ll find out tomorrow where everything is, but I’m not too worried about a super long-term thing. If I can, I’d love to be able o make my next start, but we'll see."

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that it was a collaborative decision to not push Fried and remove him after the third inning, saying, 'I just knew he was a little off so I talked to him after the third and he told me he had a hard time getting it, so I said let’s pull It here."

Fried's next turn in the rotation would be next Tuesday against Toronto at Yankee Stadium.

"It's always a little concerning any time any of your pitchers have an issue with their shoulder or elbow, but we're hoping to hear some good news," captain Aaron Judge said. "We have a lot of depth here, so we know that if something happens, someone will step up."

ORIGINAL STORY:
Max Fried left Wednesday's series finale against the Orioles after just three innings of work, and the update from the Yankees was not what fans wanted to hear.

The team announced that Fried left the game with elbow posterior soreness, and the lefty ace will be sent back to New York for imaging.

Any issues with the elbow brings about worst-case scenario thoughts, and the Yankees will hold their breath and hope the results of the MRI do not reveal a need for a long recovery. Fried was not effective in Wednesday's game, allowing three runs, and when he was pulled from the game in favor of Paul Blackburn, there was the lingering hope that Fried's early exit was due to a blisters issue that he has struggled with intermittently across his career. That was not the case.

Fried, along with Cam Schlittler, had been fantastic for the Yanks atop the rotation so far this season. Entering Wednesday's start with a 2.91 ERA, Fried allowed eight runs in his previous 11.1 innings prior to his latest appearance, suggesting something could be off.

The Yanks welcomed back a key pitching reinforcement in Carlos Rodon on Sunday, and Gerrit Cole could be close behind. They will both be needed if Fried misses significant time.