Braves ace Max Fried makes rehab start at Triple-A Gwinnett, first appearance since May 5

Updated Jul. 9, 2023 4:20 p.m. ET

Associated Press

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried threw 35 pitches over 1 1/3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday — his first appearance in more than two months.

Fried, runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award in 2022, has been on the 60-day injured list recuperating from a strained left forearm.

“I feel great," he said. “I came out of it feeling physically really good. I'm really optimistic. I'm looking forward to just knocking the rust off.”

Fried went into the game knowing he would come out after throwing 35 pitches or two innings. He was lifted in the middle of an at-bat when he reached the pitch limit.

“It was fun. I felt like my stuff was pretty good,” Fried said. “It was nice to get the blood going. To go out there against some guys and compete, that's my favorite thing to do."

His expected return after the All-Star break would further bolster a team that already has baseball's best record. Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder have helped to fill the void in the rotation, both earning their first selections to the All-Star Game.

“As an athlete and a competitor, you always want to be helping your guys out. You want to be in the fire, be part of the mix,” Fried said. “That's kind of been the hardest part. Knowing how well and amazing they've been performing, you can take your time. But I want to be part of it. I'd rather be in it than watching from the sideline."

Fried was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts before he experienced pain in his forearm during a May 5 appearance against Baltimore.

The Braves have been overly cautious in his rehab, focusing on getting Fried fully healthy for the second half of the season.

He started for Atlanta's suburban affiliate against the Omaha Storm Chasers, throwing 18 of 35 pitches for strikes. The lefty allowed one hit, walked two and struck out one before he was replaced with one out in the second by Roel Ramirez.

When Fried completes his rehab assignment, he would join Strider and Elder and Charlie Morton to give the Braves four solid starters. The team also hopes that Kyle Wright, a 21-game winner a year ago who has missed most of this season with shoulder issues, will be able to return late in the regular season.

But Fried is perhaps the biggest key to improving Atlanta's chances of a deep postseason run. He went 14-7 with a 2.48 ERA a year ago, finishing second to Miami's Sandy Alcántara in the NL Cy Young balloting.

Fried is not sure when he'll pitch again or how many rehab starts he'll need before rejoining the big league team.

There's certainly no rush.

“They're the best team in baseball,” Fried said. “I'm just excited to be able to get back and just plug right in.”

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