Max Fried will open season with Double-A Mississippi

In a move that might surprise some, Braves left-hander Max Fried will open the season with Double-A Mississippi. The team promoted him from Double-A to the majors last August.

Fried battled a blister and struggled early last season. Since June 23, he began pitching shorter outings, none of his last five exceeding four innings, which fared in his favor. The 24-year-old had a 10-inning, three-start scoreless streak before he joined the big league club. He’d allowed just one homer across his final nine starts.

Fried posted a 3.82 ERA across four starts in the majors. He also came out of the bullpen in five games, but the team has always viewed him as a starter. He pitched in four spring training games, registering a 6.75 ERA with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He was optioned to minor league camp March 16 to get stretched out for the season.