ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When reporters were in the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field on Friday, Braves pitcher Max Fried was cleaning out his locker.
He was headed back to Atlanta for his rehab assignment, which begins Sunday at Triple-A Gwinnett.
“I’m just ready to get back out there,” Fried said Friday. “It’s been a long time.”
Fried has faced hitters twice – both in controlled settings. Those live batting practice sessions allowed Fried to continue building toward a rehab assignment.
But his rehab starts will be different.
“I think I’ll be able to work on all those things when I kind of get going,” Fried said. “It’s hard to get everything in just doing a few practice live (batting practice sessions). It helps, but it’s not the same as getting into a game.”
The Braves don’t release timelines. However, it would seem logical that Fried would need at least a few starts before joining the Braves. The club certainly will be cautious with its ace, who hit the injured list in May after straining his forearm.
Asked how many starts the Braves told him he might need before returning, Fried said: “I have no idea.”
The only certainty is this: Sunday will be his first time pitching in a game since May 5 versus Baltimore.
“I’m sure he’s excited to get on the mound, no matter where it is, (for) a guy that likes to compete like that,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said Friday. “I’m sure he’ll be a little nervous to pitch in a real game again. It’s good. I’m just glad we’re getting him out there and getting it going.”
If all continues to go well, it would appear Fried might be ready to return by late July or early August. Then again, it’s difficult to predict anything with any sort of certainty.
