CHICAGO — The best team in baseball just got even better.
On Friday, Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried, who went on the IL in early May with a forearm injury, returned to the starting rotation against the Chicago Cubs and looked excellent.
He threw a strong six innings against the Cubs at Wrigley. He was perfect into the fifth inning; he only gave up three hits, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out eight.
Fried showed why he’s the ace of the starting rotation, and with the large lead Atlanta has in the National League East division standings, he is returning to a relatively low-stress situation where he can work out any kinks. But judging by Friday’s performance, it’s business as usual for Fried.
Jake Mastroianni of the Locked On Braves podcast discussed the importance of Fried’s return on the latest episode of his show, which was recorded just before the game started on Friday afternoon.
A listener asked him for the Friday mailbag episode, “Who would start Game 1 in a playoff series; Spencer Strider or Max Fried?” Mastroianni said, “It depends on the opponent and how Fried looks when he returns.”
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Fried made only five starts before he got hurt, but he pitched to a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings. His last start was back on May 5th when he threw six innings, gave up five earned runs, including two home runs, against the Baltimore Orioles, and picked up the loss.
Fried was placed on the IL on May 9, but it was retroactive to May 6, and the Braves knew the recovery would be long. And in a fun twist, the lefty made his return in the same ballpark where he made his MLB debut six years ago, Wrigley Field.
Fried's return, especially if he keeps pitching like that, is a big boost to a team who cruised to its 70th win of the season thanks to Fried's outing.
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