Max Fried returns early as Yankees reshuffle Pirates doubleheader
The Yankees will bring Max Fried back from the injured list for Wednesday night’s game after rain forced a day-night twin bill with Pittsburgh.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Max Fried is being rushed back into the Yankees’ day-night grind, with New York bringing the left-hander off the injured list earlier than planned to start the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Associated Press reported that Fried had been scheduled for another minor league rehab outing Wednesday. That plan changed after Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh was postponed in the afternoon because of a poor weather forecast, creating another two-game day for the Yankees.
New York announced Gerrit Cole for the 1:05 p.m. opener and Fried for the 7:05 p.m. makeup game. The postponement gave the club a chance to rework the rotation before a weekend series in Philadelphia.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the move helps line up the club’s pitching beyond the Pittsburgh series. “That sets us up from a starting standpoint in Philadelphia and beyond,” Boone said, according to the AP. “Max was way on board with it. I think it makes a ton of sense and we can continue to build him this way.”
Fried’s rehab plan changes fast
Fried has been out since May 14 with a bone bruise in his left elbow. Boone had said after Fried’s rehab appearance last Friday that the pitcher would make at least one more start in the minors before returning to the Yankees’ rotation.
In that outing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Worcester, Fried worked three innings. The AP reported he gave up two runs on five hits, struck out three, walked none and threw 52 pitches, including 32 strikes.
Boone said Fried is not yet fully stretched out, but he considers him ready to rejoin the major league club. “He's ready to go. He's been ready for a while,” Boone said. “It's just about getting him built up. So, obviously, he doesn't have a full clip yet.”
Fried, a three-time All-Star, is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 10 starts for New York this season.
Rotation shuffle reaches Philadelphia
Will Warren had been scheduled to start Tuesday against Pittsburgh right-hander Bubba Chandler before the rainout changed the board. With the Yankees off Thursday, Warren is now set to open the Philadelphia series Friday night, followed by Cam Schlittler on Saturday.
Pittsburgh will counter with Mitch Keller in Game 1 on Wednesday and Chandler in the nightcap, according to the AP. The Pirates also have Thursday off before returning home for a series against the Chicago Cubs.
The Yankees are dealing with another compressed stretch. The AP reported that New York split a day-night doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday after a Saturday night rainout.
Fried’s return also puts him and Cole in the Yankees’ rotation at the same time for the first time. Cole came back on May 22 after reconstructive elbow surgery, shortly after Fried had gone down.
Fried, 32, joined New York after leaving Atlanta in free agency, signing an eight-year, $218 million contract in December 2024. In his first Yankees season in 2025, he went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA over 32 starts, according to the AP.
Boone pointed to Fried and Cole as central pieces of the Yankees’ plans. “We have high hopes this year,” he said. “Those are two of the big reasons why and hopefully we've got a good run in us with them right in the middle of it.”
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.