After days of speculation, Max Fried’s return has a stated date. Braves manager Brian Snitker said postgame Wednesday that Fried will start Friday against the Cubs in Chicago.
Fried has been out since May 5 with a forearm strain.
“It’s awesome. Can’t wait to get him out there and just get him back in the swing of things, too,” Snitker said. Snitker likened Fried’s return and getting reliever AJ Minter back from injury to big trade-deadline acquisitions.
Fried has made five starts for the Braves this season. He’s 2-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 26 innings.
In his return, Fried is hoping to ride the momentum his teammates have created. He’s most excited to get back out to the mound.
“It’s one of my favorite places to be,” Fried said. “Just to be able to go out there and take the mound and have my teammates behind me, going out and trying to win a baseball game, I’m really looking forward to it.”
He completed four rehab starts, finishing by throwing 79 pitches at Triple-A Gwinnett. He threw in the bullpen at Truist Park on Monday. He’s felt good throughout his rehab, but said he didn’t know whether he would have any pitch-count limitations Friday.
Usually, a minor league rehab assignment would be the same as pitching in the majors. This season, it’s different because of an automatic balls-and-strikes system that’s being utilized in the minors.
“It’s a smaller strike zone, so you have to get in the zone (and) attack guys a lot differently,” Fried said. “I feel like I’ve been able to get a really good test to see how my pitches are working in the zone against guys.”
Fried will rejoin the team with the best record in baseball. Braves starting pitchers have the National League’s second-best ERA, but Fried has been missed. The team has used 12 different starting pitchers this season, leaning heavily on the trio of Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Bryce Elder. Strider and Elder both set career highs in starts this season. If Fried can return to his previous dominance, he’ll be a huge addition to the current World Series favorites.
Making his return at Wrigley Field has some significance to Fried. He made his first major league start there in 2017. Coming back after several months away from the majors will be different for Fried, but he hesitated to say it would feel like his debut again.
“Not quite that much,” Fried said, “but I’ll definitely have butterflies and some jitters and stuff before I go out there.”
It also means that Fried will return against his former teammate Dansby Swanson. Fried said he has great memories with Swanson, but there’s no extra motivation for him there.
“I’m gonna just focus on just trying to help the team win,” Fried said.
