Yankees' Max Fried Reacts After Landing on Injured List
The New York Yankees are right behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East standings through the six-week mark of the MLB season.
It's been a decent start, although slugger Giancarlo Stanton is nursing another injury and Gerrit Cole has not made his season debut yet.
Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried left his last start after just three innings against the Baltimore Orioles due to an injury, leaving fans worried about his status going forward.
On Friday, the Yankees announced that Fried was headed to the 15-day Injured List with a left bone bruise, which is a breath of fresh air.
From the Yankees:
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 15, 2026
LHP Max Fried underwent an MRI and CT scan on Thursday that was followed up by an examination with Yankees Team Physician, Dr. Chris Ahmad. He will be placed on the 15-day I.L. after initial findings revealed a left elbow bone bruise. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will…
After the news surfaced, Fried reacted to being placed on the IL, and while it's unfortunate, Fried is happy that it doesn't appear to be a long-term issue.
"I'm definitely bummed that I'm going to have to be missing some time, but overall happy that it doesn't look like it's gonna be anything serious - no surgery required or anything like that," Fried said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "So never want to go on the IL and miss games, but also understand that the long-term outlook still looks good."
So far this season, Fried has a 4-3 record with a 3.21 ERA, but he gave up three or more runs in each of his last three outings despite back-to-back shutouts prior to that.
Fried Out for the Foreseeable Future
For now, Fried is on the 15-day IL, but the Yankees said additional testing would take place in "a few weeks" to determine a firmer timetable.
Cole, on the other hand, is working towards his season debut, but the Yankees don't plan on rushing the ace back right now.
The Yankees will not accelerate Gerrit Cole's timeline in the wake of Max Fried's injury, Boone said. Likely two more rehab starts.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) May 15, 2026
Rodon made his first start of the season on Sunday, allowing three runs on two hits in 4.1 innings.
Youngster Cam Schlittler has been off to a blazing start this year, registering a 5-1 record with a 1.35 ERA so far.
The Yankees initially were hoping that Cole and Fried could work alongside Schittler, but it hasn't been the case yet.
Related: Jazz Chisholm Jr. Struggles: What It Means for His Yankee Future
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 7:14 PM.