Two sidelined Braves starters appear headed in different directions.
Max Fried will make a rehab start possibly soon after the upcoming All-Star break. Veteran Brandon McCarthy remains a question mark as his knee hasn’t responded as the organization hoped.
Fried pitched three innings in Milwaukee five days ago before being placed on the disabled list with a blister on his middle finger. He impressed in his prior outing, striking out 11 Cardinals on June 30.
“Fried’s been playing catch,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He’ll have to go out and make a rehab start at some point, just to make sure it’s holding up.”
McCarthy, meanwhile, was DL’d with knee tendinitis, a condition that’s bothered him throughout the past two seasons. The Braves first said they hoped he wouldn’t require a lengthy stint, and McCarthy expected to return before the break.
That won’t be the case. And with the logjam of young arms vying for time, such as Fried and Luiz Gohara, the team has little reason to rush.
The 35-year-old has posted a 4.92 ERA in 78-2/3 innings. He hasn’t pitched since a five-inning, three-run outing against the Orioles June 24.
“It’s not coming around like we had hoped right now,” Snitker said, while offering no timetable for McCarthy’s return. “So he’s still getting treatment and going through rehab. … He’s still having problems with the knee. Until it’s good, you’re not putting a guy on the mound to throw until something like that’s been taken care of. It’s just coming along slower than we’d hoped.”
