What happened to Max Fried? Why Yankees ace left game early vs. Orioles

What happened to Max Fried? Why Yankees ace left game early vs. Orioles originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Max Fried looked noticeably uncomfortable on the mound before exiting Wednesday’s start against the Baltimore Orioles.

Fried threw 61 pitches in three innings and was followed into the tunnel leading into the clubhouse.

Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake immediately phoned the bullpen to get right-hander Paul Blackburn warming up.

“Max Fried is done for the day after three innings and 61 pitches,” MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch wrote on X. “His command was shaky, which makes you wonder if it was a blister issue, something he’s dealt with in the past. More info to come.”

Three runs came across to score in Fried’s three innings. Coby Mayo lined a double past the diving Ryan McMahon at third base in the bottom of the second.

MORE: Aaron Judge makes baseball history never done before by Yankees player

Adley Rutschman‘s sacrifice fly and Pete Alonso‘s RBI single in the third extended Baltimore’s lead to three.

During his eight seasons (2017-24) with the Atlanta Braves, Fried landed on the injured list four separate times with blister issues.

UPDATE: The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reports that Fried left today’s game with left elbow posterior soreness and will undergo imaging tomorrow.

More MLB news:

Three ways Pirates’ Paul Skenes could lose NL Cy Young Award

Reds’ Elly De La Cruz makes baseball history not done in last 126 years

5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker’s breakout for Cardinals

Pete Crow-Armstrong is still struggling to hit well for the Cubs

Roman Anthony might’ve been overhyped for Red Sox