Braves fans should take Max Fried’s debut with grain of salt

Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried will make his long-awaited return to action on Friday, but keep expectations in check. 

The Atlanta Braves will welcome Max Fried back to the mound for Friday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs. It’s a long-awaited moment for Fried and the Atlanta faithful, who suffered through three months of uncertainty after the southpaw strained his forearm in May.

Few teams were more active on the pitching market ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, but Alex Anthopoulos and Braves ultimately made no changes to the starting rotation. There was simply no need to pay a premium price with Fried’s return right around the corner. Now, the reigning Cy Young runner-up will rejoin the winningest staff in baseball.

The Braves have been plagued with injuries in the bullpen all season. Atlanta will be grateful to have Fried’s stability atop the rotation, where he will join All-Stars Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder. Assuming full health and the eventual return of Kyle Wright from the 60-day IL, Atlanta’s rotation should be right where Brian Snitker wants it when the playoffs arrive.

That said, Fried will have plenty of rust to shake off between now and the postseason. That starts Friday against the Cubs, so don’t read too deeply into his performance — especially if it’s of the negative variety.

Atlanta Braves’ Max Fried could face pitch count in return vs. Cubs

While there hasn’t been official word on the subject from Atlanta, one has to assume Fried will operate with a pitch count in his return to action. He made four rehab starts between High-A Rome and Triple-A Gwinnett, with the last coming on July 29. He went 4 1/3 innings and gave up two runs.

While there’s every reason to believe Fried is back to full strength, it will take time for him to re-acclimate to the rigors of MLB pitching. Atlanta has a cushy lead in the NL East and the pitching staff has been dominant all season, despite myriad injuries. Management should operate with a comfortable patience as Fried works his way back to full speed for the postseason in October.

Fried made five starts this season before the injury, going 2-1 with a rockstar 2.08 ERA and 1.077 WHIP. The Braves have been remarkably successful without their best arm. Now that Fried is back, one can only expect more positive momentum for Atlanta in the months to come.

“I’ll definitely have some butterflies and jitters before I go out there,” Fried told ESPN. He’s excited to battle his former teammate Dansby Swanson on the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field. It’s a storybook setup, but it’s important to keep circumstances in mind. The Braves probably won’t push Fried too hard and he’s bound to hit a few bumps in the road before returning to ace status.