CLEVELAND – On the Fourth of July, Max Fried will be working.
He’s with the Braves in Cleveland, and he’ll throw his second live batting practice session on the holiday. It seems logical that, if all goes well, the Braves could evaluate whether he’s ready to begin a rehab assignment as his next step.
Braves manager Brian Snitker didn’t know how many pitches Fried would throw on Tuesday.
On Friday, Fried faced hitters for the first time since the team placed him on the injured list in May. Fried has spent the past couple months rehabbing a left forearm strain.
The Braves needed to shut down Fried because of the injury, which means he’s had to build up from zero, almost like spring training. The club has not provided a timeline – the Braves generally don’t give timelines on injured players – but it seems like Fried could be ready to return in late July or early August if he continues at his current pace.
The Braves have hung in there without Fried and Kyle Wright. When they arrived at Progressive Field for this three-game series versus Cleveland, Atlanta’s starters had combined to post the National League’s top ERA (3.78).
Fried is expected to return before Wright, who has also started his throwing program. He’s behind Fried at the moment.
The Braves have been extra cautious with Wright because his shoulder strain is a recurring issue. They don’t want to push it.
Snitker praises Francona
A matchup with the Guardians means a meeting with Cleveland manager Terry Francona. Snitker didn’t have any specific stories about Francona, but has appreciated running into him at the Baseball Winter Meetings or saying hello in passing.
“I love the guy,” Snitker said. “I think he’s a Hall of Famer.”
Entering Monday’s series opener, Francona had 1,915 wins as a manager. He first managed the Phillies in 1997. Then he became Boston’s manager, a job he held from 2004-2011.
He started with Cleveland in 2013 and has been here ever since.
“I think he’s one of the best in the game,” Snitker said.
Tons of homers
Monday’s win over Cleveland gave the Braves 21 straight games with a homer, dating to June 10.
In this span, the Braves have hit 56 homers.
Atlanta’s homer streak is the longest active run in the majors, and the second-longest such streak this season. (The Rays homered in 22 straight games.)
The Braves have 161 homers – 30 more than second-place Tampa Bay.
