New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried made a successful return to the mound Saturday night, less than two weeks after landing on the injured list with a bone bruise in his left elbow. Fried pitched 3 ²/₃ innings, striking out four batters, walking three, and allowing one earned run in the Yankees' 9-2 win against the Boston Red Sox.
"I was sharper earlier than late, but nice to get back out there, get your competitive juices going," Fried said after the game. "At the end of the day, us being able to win the game was really big."
The initial concern following Fried's injury was that it could end his season, as it was the second time he had been sidelined with the same issue. However, his speedy recovery allowed him to rejoin the team for a crucial split of a day-night doubleheader.
Fried allowed a solo home run in the third inning but managed to prevent further damage by retiring two runners with one out to end the threat. Manager Aaron Boone expressed satisfaction with Fried's performance, stating, "I thought, overall, he threw the ball pretty well, gave us enough there at the start. I thought he was pretty good overall. He kind of featured everything and had a feel for everything, so that was good to see."
While Fried's overall outing was positive, a slight decrease in the velocity of his four-seam fastball and cutter was noted. His fastball averaged 93.8 mph on Saturday, down from his season average of 95 mph, and his cutter was also down from 92 mph to 90.8 mph. Fried, however, brushed off these concerns, saying, "It’s not something that I’m too worried about. I feel like I was still able to make some good pitches, keep them off-balance, and I was feeling good."
The Yankees are hopeful that Fried's return marks the end of his injury troubles for the season. Fried himself expressed confidence, stating, "I feel great. Very, very confident."